An Unlikely Pair
by Firegirl210
Summary: We all know how bad Havoc's luck with girls is; and now it's about to get a whole lot worse! But he just might end up falling for the most unlikely candidate imaginable... Havoc/OC--COMPLETE! New and improved Version
1. Rainstorms and an Incognito Jail Break

**_Hey Fanfictionees! So we all know how horrible Havoc's luck with girls is... (take Lust and Armstrong's sister for examples)_**

**_Well...it's about to get even worse! But will he fall in love with the most unlikely of people?_**

**_There's really only one way to find out where this disaster will lead to..._**

**_READ it, REVIEW it, but most of all ENJOY IT!_**

* * *

**Chapter One:**

**Rainstorms and an Incognito Jail Break**

"Captain Havoc sir, we have a problem!" A soldier rushed up to the tall blonde man, slipping on the ground wet from recent rain.

"What is it, Shanan?" Jean Havoc asked, turning away from Warrant Officer Furey as they huddled under their rain jackets from the fierce storm.

"We have a group of Ishbalans sir, on the Western Side."

The Captain frowned, rolling his cigarette around in his mouth. "The Ishbalans aren't our enemies anymore, Soldier." He said, tapping his ashes in the ditch.

"I'm aware of that, Sir, but they attacked our troops. We have been trying to avoid confrontation, but it looks imminent."

Suddenly a shadow fell across the Soldier's face, and he fell back with a cry as a knife slashed his arm. An Ishbalan flipped back off the enlisted man, only to be kicked in the face by another soldier, sending the cloaked figure flying backwards. The Ishbalan slammed into Havoc's chest and sent them both tumbling into the rain-filled ditch in a sprawling heap. There was a flash of pain in his chest, and he looked down to see the handle of a knife protruding from his shoulder.

"Military Dog!" The Ishbalan snarled, and Havoc grabbed the wrist of the hand that was attempting to shove the knife deeper into his shoulder.

"Why are you attacking us?! We haven't done anything to you!" He snapped, arching his back and throwing his attacker off into the rain water pooled at the bottom of the ditch. "You, sir, are under arrest for attacking military officers unprovoked..." He trailed off as the Ishbalan leaped up, hood falling back as the rain started again with a vengeance. Long white curls wildly danced about and framed the dark skinned face, delicate lips set in a thin hard line and eyes flashing dangerously. But instead of the usual fiery red color, the woman's eyes were a shocking, icy blue. A bruise was already forming on her cheek, and she spat in the ditch at Havoc's shocked expression.

"You thought I was a man because I took you down; how very vain. But you will not take me!" She raced at Havoc, using his knee as a step and launching herself off his shoulder, snatching her knife as she flew through the air in an impossible display of acrobatics. He winced and clutched at his very hacked up shoulder as the earth around the woman's feet suddenly buckled and shifted. She gasped in shock as it flew up seemingly of its own free will, encasing her in a rocky shell.

"Having a little trouble there, Captain?" A boy who looked about seventeen appeared, his long honey colored hair pulled back in a braid and his golden eyes sparkling with amusement. A mischievous smirk danced across his face, and Havoc sighed, climbing to his feet using the hand the boy offered as leverage.

"Thanks, Ed. Where's your brother?" The Ishbalan woman was staring at Edward with icy flames of anger in her eyes, and she was muttering something in her native tongue that was probably very offensive as she struggled futilely against the alchemic prison.

"He should be around somewhere..."

Suddenly another Ishbalan landed at Havoc's feet, and a boy who looked almost identical to Edward (with shorter, slightly darker hair and brown eyes) clambered out of the ditch, breathing hard. His hands and knees were dirty and his alchemist uniform was much less worn than his brother's.

"Brother, did you see how far I launched him?" Alphonse's big brown eyes were excited, and a barely suppressed grin finally broke out across his face as he stood there panting.

"Not bad, little brother. Not bad at all." Suddenly there was an explosion behind them, and they simultaneously clapped their hands together and slammed them against the wall, sending a double Elric Whammy of Alchemy smashing into the getaway vehicle and sending the jeep full of Ishbalans tumbling into the soldiers' hands.

"Aw man! I thought we were done fighting Ishbalans." Ed moaned, sliding down the wall with a sigh. Havoc rolled his eyes and kicked Ed's boot, motioning for him to get up.

"Come on, Fullmetal, stop moping and help."

* * *

The prison door opened with a screech of rusty metal, and the guard snorted awake. A tall blonde man was standing in the doorway, shaking water off of his coat. His left arm was in a sling, and there was a cigarette sticking out of his mouth.

"Oh, Captain Havoc! What are you doing down here?" He asked as Havoc saluted him, shaking more raindrops off of his broad shoulders.

"I need to have a few words with a prisoner." He said, and the guard shrugged, sitting back down and flipping open the newspaper he had been reading.

"I'm not one to argue with my superiors. But sir... there is a no smoking policy."

The Captain sighed dramatically. "Right." He tossed his cigarette into an ashtray with a sigh and set off down the hall, boots clicking on the hard metal floor. The prison was absolutely frigid when it rained or snowed, and he had to pity the prisoners there. He stopped by the cell that held the Ishbalan woman who was sitting on her bed with her head bent over her knees, mumbling; probably a prayer to their God Ishbala. He tapped the bars, and she stopped.

"Hey... I need to talk to you." He said softly, and she looked up. Her hair was still damp, and it hung in her face in long ashen waves.

"You put me in here. I have nothing to say to you." She said quietly, her blue eyes staring right past him. They had a strange glaze over them, and there was a sickly pallor about her.

"Are you sick?" He asked, and suddenly her eyes flamed and she leaped up.

"I don't need help from a Dog of the Military like you!" She snarled, her face right in his behind the bars. The life had reignited like a flame inside her, and she was so vicious he actually stepped back in surprise. "I'll get out of here on my own and take my revenge!" She suddenly jerked back, looking like she had made a terrible mistake. She turned quickly, hands clenched in anger at her foolishness.

"Would that revenge happen to be on me?" He asked, and she shook her head with a sigh. Her shoulders tightened, and she held something to her face, looking down where he could not follow her gaze.

"Can I trust you?" It was barely a whisper on the wind, but he heard it, and the sound echoed off the walls eerily, like a ghost's gentle murmurings.

"Of course. It's part of my military training to never give away a secret." Then his expression softened. "And I'm not one to betray pretty girls." He promised softly, and she seemed to make some kind of decision.

She lifted a small locket out of her shirt, opening the lid and stroking the picture inside with a painfully tender and sad expression on her face. She held it out to Havoc, and he gently took it between his fingers. There was a picture of a group of people surrounding her, and on the other side there was a picture of her leaning her head on an Ishbalan man's shoulder, both of them looking blissfully happy with the harsh desert around them. He started slightly as she took it back hastily, her hand brushing against his as she closed it with a gentle click.

"I wasn't there to attack you. I was looking for a man. The monster killed my family and destroyed my village. I've come to take my revenge on him. Roy Mustang."

He tapped his chin, a thoughtful and slightly sad look in his blue eyes. He had heard stories of Ishbal and of the Alchemists--his superior was a haunted man because of it. "You know, I can bet that Roy would meet with you face-to-face. If there's anyone who hates the things he's done, it's the General. Maybe you can appease your need for vengeance a little more peacefully that way." He said softly, and she stood up, her hands wrapping around the bars.

"Take me to see him. Now." She demanded, the flames in her eyes intensifying to a blistering color like fresh ice. "I want to look into the eyes of the man who killed my family."

Havoc had stepped back a bit in surprise at her anger, and he motioned for her to calm down. "I can take you to see him, but you'll have to promise me that you won't do anything rash. Like take a knife to his shoulder and hack it up like a steak." He gestured at his sling, but she simply tightened her hands on the bars. "And I'll have to go with you."

She sighed and nodded. "Yes, yes. Of course." He turned the key in the lock and grabbed her wrist, nodding for her to follow him. She looked a bit unhappy to be so restrained, but she followed without comment. He saw her sizing him up and deciding whether or not she could overpower him, and he tightened his grip slightly to tell her not to even think about it.

"Sir?" The guard looked confused upon seeing Havoc leading a prisoner out of her cell, and stood up nervously.

"Direct orders from General Mustang, soldier--it was all a misunderstanding." Havoc said evenly, and he felt the girl stiffen slightly in his grasp. He touched the back of her hand with his thumb to tell her not to speak, and she looked away, biting her tongue.

The guard looked surprised and unsure. "I didn't realize that you could remove prisoners..." He said, but Havoc waved the comment away.

Then his eyes sparkled a bit mischievously--the way he looked when he was exploiting loopholes. "Besides; I'm the only one who was injured by her, so if I remove all charges then there's not really a problem anymore, is there, Soldier?"

* * *

After a quick and stealthy escape that involved waltzing out the front door, Havoc held open the car door for the woman, who gave him a slight glare before climbing in, sitting in the back seat uneasily and looking around at the screaming metal death trap. He got into the front seat and pulled out a cigarette, sticking it in his mouth and lighting it. She made a face as smoke blew in her face before she could open the window.

"That is a disgusting habit." She said, coughing and waving the air in front of her face irritably.

"Sorry." He muttered, heading towards Central Command and flicking the cigarette out the window. He felt eyes on him, and looked in the rearview mirror to find her appraising him in interest.

"You do realize you will get in serious trouble if I do anything crazy while you're watching me, right?" She asked evenly, and he sighed, shrugging.

"Yeah, the thought did cross my mind. But I think that revenge and hatred is just going to make things worse, so better to get it out of your system if possible."

She crossed her arms and slid down the seat, staring out the window at the hustle and bustle of Central City. "Why are you risking this for me?"

Havoc shrugged again, but a little smile danced across his face. "I can't stand seeing a pretty girl in pain." He said, flashing her a grin in the mirror. She rolled her eyes, and they spent the rest of the ride in silence.

* * *

**_Hmmmm this chapter seems short...maybe that's just my imagination... -_-_**

**_Thanks for reading!_**

**_~Firegirl_**


	2. Vengeance and a Building in Flames

**_Hey there devoted readers! Chapter two is up! Hope you enjoy it!_**

**_If I owned Fullmetal Alchemist, I wouldn't be sitting here at three in the morning writing stories about it, now would I? And my OC would definitely be real. And Havoc would not have been paralyzed. (We're going off a combination of the Anime and the Manga in this story, if you care)_**

**_READ it, ENJOY it, but most of all REVIEW IT! Wait...is that backwards? Don't you wonder..._**

* * *

**Chapter Two:**

**Vengeance is Satiated and a Building goes up in Flames**

"Major! How are you?" Havoc asked as Hawkeye walked past, a happy look on her face. She had been smiling a lot lately, and the General had seemed uncharacteristically cheery as well.

"I'm fine, how are you, Captain Havoc?" Riza's eyes landed on the girl, standing slightly behind Havoc, and she sighed. "What did the General say about bringing your girlfriends to work, Havoc?" She asked, and Havoc blushed and shook his head, rubbing his neck abashedly under the piercing gaze of two women that were arguably equally ferocious.

"This woman has business with the General. And she's not my girlfriend." Hawkeye eyed the pair for a moment, then walked on, leaving Havoc's fate in his own hands.

The Ishbalan turned to the Captain with a raised eye. "Girlfriends? Plural?" He shrugged, but a slight blush crept up his neck as he avoided the question.

"Oh look, here we are." He said, opening the door to General Mustang's office. Roy's chin was resting on his fist, and he looked like he was barely awake as he gazed out the window at the muted bustle of Central City in the drizzling rain.

"Late night last night, General?" She spat, and Roy blinked and straightened.

"Captain Havoc. Who is this charming young lady? I hope it's not another girlfriend begging for a tour, because I will carry out my threat." Havoc opened his mouth to object when she suddenly yanked out her locket and threw it on the desk, breathing hard as anger rose in her in a wave of emotion, trying to break the dam she had kept it locked behind for so long.

"Look at those people, Mustang. Tell me you don't remember them." She hissed, and his lone visible eyebrow rose slightly. But he obliged, and he sighed as he saw the family portrait. Ishbalans. So many of the faceless, the nameless that had been lost.

"Young lady..." He began, but she cut him off viciously.

"TELL ME YOU DON'T REMEMBER THEM!!" She cried, tears of anger gathering in her eyes. "We lived in a small town in the middle of nowhere, where we thought we would always be safe from Amestrians like you! You and your stupid war that took my brothers away from us when you drafted them...And then you came and destroyed my village that barely had any men left to protect it!" The tears cascaded down her face, and she wiped them away angrily.

"I was visiting my friend in Xing when my village was burned to the ground. Do you know what I went home to weeks later, after the fighting had passed on? Death. Destruction. Dried blood coated the streets, and bodies littered the ground, not even cared about enough to be given a proper burial!" She was sobbing dryly, painfully, but a different kind of fire danced in her icy eyes as she confronted the Flame Alchemist.

"There was a woman who had been passed over, spared her life because she hid in her cellar from the State Alchemist who did it. She told me who did this to my people." She slammed her fist on his desk, so hard that Havoc thought he heard either wood or bone crack. "The Flame Alchemist. I hope you like fire, Mustang. Because hell's flames will be your final resting place!" She lashed out, but Roy caught her hand before it could strike him. His pitch black eye was deep and calm, and his tight grip was firm but not painful.

"What is your name?"

She was still breathing hard, looking shocked that he had been able to catch her wrist. "My name is Naleen Korish. The daughter of the man and woman you killed while they were sleeping. The sister of the baby who burned in her cradle and the boy and the man who your military slaughtered in war." She snatched her hand from him and slapped him across the face, nearly knocking him back with the force of her blow.

"Hey, hey! This wasn't the deal!" Havoc said, stepping forward. But General Mustang raised his hand, calmly standing up to face the Ishbalan who was shaking with rage and readjusting his eye patch.

"Naleen Korish. I lost this eye fighting and killing the corrupt ruler of this country, President Bradley himself. Most people think it only sees darkness. But I see all the pain and the suffering I've caused in my life, the people I've killed and the ones who still live that I injured forever in a way I can't fix." He turned to the window, their reflections in the glass staring back at him. His was sad and silent, hers angry and trembling.

"When I look in the mirror I see two reflections of myself; I see Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist and a General in the Military. But I can also see a monster and a murderer. That's what this eye sees." He said, touching the patch across the left side of his face. Naleen fell to her knees as her legs gave way, silent tears cascading down her face from all the released emotion draining her.

"I would tell you I'm sorry..." He gently put his hands on her arms and lifted her back on her feet, handing her a handkerchief to dry her tears. "But it wouldn't be enough."

She drew a breath and turned back to him, twisting on the handkerchief as the tears continued to slide silently down her face. Her eyes were no longer flaming, and she looked tired, drained.

"Roy Mustang?"

He looked up, readjusting his patch again from where it had moved a bit when she hit him. "Let me look into your eyes." He looked up with just his right eye, but she stepped towards him and gently lifted the patch away from his left eye, setting it on the table as she stood with her chest practically touching his. His eye was a sightless cloudy grey, but it moved with his right eye as he looked into her blue ones. Neither person moved for a moment, and then Naleen let out a breath and stepped back, shaking as she put a subtle hand on the table to hold herself up.

"I have looked into the eyes of my family's murderer. But... he is not the man I thought he was." She bowed her head slightly to him, hands trembling. "I will never forgive you. But my revenge has been satisfied." She said and brought two fingers first to her lips and then her forehead and finally to her heart as more tears rolled down her face.

"May Ishbala save you." She said softly and rushed out the door, closing it behind her with a snap. There was disbelieving and confused silence for a moment in the office before Roy cleared his throat, and Havoc almost imperceptibly stiffened, tensing.

"Captain Havoc..." Havoc snapped to attention, waiting for the lecture he was sure to receive with steady eyes. But Roy just set a hand on his shoulder and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"You really should be more careful about who you bring into my office. Just think--it could have been a terrorist." He said with a slight shadow of a smile, and then dismissed his Captain with a nod of his head. Havoc nodded with a mumbled 'yes sir' and rushed out the door, leaving Roy to sit alone at his desk and wonder aloud.

"Maybe I'm not a monster after all."

* * *

Havoc snapped the office door closed behind him with a sigh of relief at not being punished and looked around for his missing detainee. He looked down and saw her sitting with her back pressed against the wall and her knees drawn up against her chest. Her face was buried in her arms, and she was staring angrily at the wall, eyes dry and all evidence of tears gone now.

"So...Naleen Korish, huh?"

She looked up at him with a halfhearted glare, then looked away. He sighed and sat down next to her, resting his elbows on his knees. She scooted a little farther away, refusing to look at him.

"Feel better?" he asked, and when she did not respond, he shrugged and took out a cigarette. She watched him light it and take a puff, and after a few moments there was suddenly a whoosh of air and the cigarette was gone in the blink of an eye, and she flung it across the hall.

"H-hey! Those things cost money!" He yelped, and she shrugged, going back to her sitting and staring into space. He huffed and pouted for a moment, blue eyes appraising her unhappily.

"So do you feel better?"

She suddenly flowed to her feet in one fluid motion, loose cotton shirt and rough breeches hiding the sinew and muscle in her lean body.

"Are you coming? You are supposed to be guarding me after all." She said, and he chuckled, standing up much less fluidly than she.

"Yes, that I am--which reminds me. Where am I taking you?"

She opened her mouth to respond, then paused, obviously unsure. Her eyes crackled like fire, and she flicked her long white hair over her shoulder in irritation. "I do not need your help any longer." She said, and he laughed a bit sharply, taking her elbow gently in his hand.

"H-hey! Release me!" She snapped, but he propelled her down the hall relentlessly. His strength and the element of surprise left her unable to resist, and he walked quickly and quietly with Naleen as he escorted her out of the military compound. They reached the parking lot and she finally ripped her arm out of his grasp.  
"Leave me alone! I no longer need your help, and I never wanted it!" She snarled, and he gripped her wrist firmly but gently.

"Look, Miss Korish, I know you don't want help from an Amestrian, but frankly I don't think you have a choice. You are my responsibility right now, and until that ceases I will keep you under my own protection and supervision. Understand?"

She met his eyes evenly and defiantly, but finally stopped trying to pull away and nodded sharply, looking away. He released her arm and snapped the car door open, gesturing for her to get in.

"After you." He said, and she slid into the seat in grudging submission.

He got in the driver's seat and slammed the door, gripping the steering wheel and taking a long breath before starting the car.

It was going to be a long drive, that they knew for sure.

* * *

"You okay? You've gone a whole thirty minutes without some nasty comment about my smoking." Havoc said sarcastically as he pulled into the parking lot of a local Ishbalan boarding house, and she started as if woken from a dream as the engine sputtered to a halt.

"Yes. I'm fine." She said quickly, but her distant tone made him wonder what she was thinking about. He sighed and puffed out a little smoke as they got out of the car.

She glared at him, pushing her wild curls off her face irritably. "Really, that is a nasty habit."

Havoc rolled his eyes, wondering what she was going to say as they walked. She was quite a ridiculous creature, in his opinion. "So, did you get what you wanted back there?"

She looked away from him, a wall of white waves hiding her face from him. "He wasn't what I expected."

Havoc looked over at her, trying to see through the walls of ice she put up around herself. She had stopped walking, and was leaning on a metal fence lightly, her slim form seemingly tired out.

"The General I mean. He was...human. More human than I expected of an Alchemist Weapon."

Havoc joined her at the fence, the still-wet metal sending chills up his bare hands. In her light and very soaked clothing, he knew Naleen must have been freezing. "General Mustang is normally pretty intense, and he'll do anything for his country, but he's a person too. A good person. He, Hawkeye, Armstrong; none of them talk about Ishbal if they can help it. For the most part, they're ashamed of it, especially when they found out the truth behind the war."

Naleen started and looked up at him, blue eyes turning to burning ice again. How did she manage to make her eyes look like that?

"What do you mean?"

Havoc looked away, rubbing his neck and lighting another smoke. "Sorry, military classification." He said, averting his eyes and puffing innocently on his cigarette.

"Of course." She stared at her scuffed leather boots as a beam of sunshine suddenly broke through the clouds, hitting the wet street and sending rainbows ricocheting off the buildings.

"Wow. You don't see things like that often." Havoc said with a low whistle, marveling at the natural beauty to himself more than to her.

Naleen opened her mouth to respond, but just then they heard loud yelling farther down the road and jerked into full alert mode. Havoc started running instantly, following several other soldiers that had appeared out of nowhere, and Naleen sprinted after not far behind.

As he rounded a corner, an awful sight met his eyes. An enormous fire was consuming half of the block, despite the wet weather. People were dumping water on the edges, but the fire was building rapidly, chewing through the wood that had failed to absorb the rain from the earlier shower.

"Officer, what happened?" Havoc yelled out to Furey, who was scrambling to help the fire brigade as Havoc jumped in, strong arms hauling a bucket easily where Furey's small hands could not as quickly.

"We aren't sure Havoc, all we know is that it really got going when it hit the cooking oil in the restaurant at the end of the block! We've been able to mostly contain it, but it doesn't show any signs of stopping yet!" Just then there was a loud scream as a woman pointed to the top of one of the burning apartments, and the others all followed the sound.

"There are kids up there!"

Havoc followed her pointing arm to see a kid, probably only ten years old, waving his hand out of the top floor window and calling for help. Panic raced through the crowd as they tried to figure out what to do. Then Havoc felt something run past him and saw Naleen push her way through the crowd and run into the building without a word or a second thought.

The cigarette fell out of his mouth in shock. "Is she insane?!" He muttered to himself, still pouring sand to keep the fire from hurting any bystanders. The fire continued to lick the sides of the building, and the crowd started to question whether the woman would come back out again in whispered murmurs of doubt. Havoc and Furey focused on keeping the fire out of the front door when another soldier cried out.

"There she is!"

Havoc looked up to see the Ishbalan woman dart through the hall toward the door, two kids in her arms as if they weighed nothing. Just as she flew through the front door, the building collapsed behind her in a huge pillar of smoke and flames. Havoc quickly helped the other soldiers to quench the remains of the fire as the damp air finally took hold of the heat.

Then Havoc was finally able to spare a glance at Naleen and her two charges. The kids' parents had gotten through the crowd by then, and he could see that one of the kids was partially Ishbalan. The relief on the people's faces was prominent in the dying light. Havoc looked around to see a head of wild curls arguing with a little man in a white coat.

"I don't need a doctor!" Naleen snapped, and the man frowned, clicking his tongue in disagreement.

"Miss, you are clearly injured. It will only be a moment, and it could get infected otherwise." He said, and Naleen practically snarled at him. She seemed ready to bolt when a large hand came down on her shoulder, and a tall blonde man smiled down at them.

"I think Naleen would be more than happy to let you take a look at her. She doesn't want whoever is taking care of her to be troubled."

Naleen sent him a venomous look, but allowed the little man to sit her down on the curb and looked her over. Turns out, she had severe first degree burns on both arms, her back and on the cheek that wasn't still bruised from being kicked in the face by a soldier earlier that day.

"That should do it Miss." Naleen looked up at the doctor who had wrapped her arm up. It was definitely going to hurt for a while, but at least now the pain was tolerable. The burn wasn't so bad. _'I've seen far worse' _she thought grimly.

The doctor gave a faint smile as he brushed his hands off. "You're a bit of a hero, aren't you Miss? Going in there and saving those kids like that."

Naleen shrugged through the exhaustion. It had been a long day--an unbelievably long one. She wanted nothing more than to sleep now. "Not really. I felt like I needed to protect them."

The doctor chuckled as he packed away his bags. "Well, that's certainly more heroic than what most people would have done. Just try to avoid getting burned next time."

Naleen smiled bitterly as he left, and then wrinkled her nose as the foul scent of cigarette smoke engulfed her.

"That is _such_ a disgusting habit."

Havoc shrugged and took the thing out of his mouth to talk to her from his place leaning on the lamppost. "That was a brave thing to do when you really think about it, but there was also probably a smarter way to do it."

It was Naleen's turn to shrug as she got to her feet. Even in the descending darkness he did not miss the way she faltered, swaying with exhaustion. "My way was faster. Those kids got out safely and no one got badly hurt."

Havoc's eyes flickered to her wounds, which were wrapped in several bandages. She tossed her hair over her shoulder, shrugging as she caught his look. "A doorway collapsed on me when I was trying to get them. A minor price to pay for their lives. How..How are they doing now?"

He flicked the shrunken cigarette away, running a hand through his short blonde hair. "They'll both be alright. One of them inhaled some smoke, so it'll be a little while before he can breathe normally again, and the other has a couple of small burns."

Naleen paused in front of the burned building, blue eyes looking over the wreckage sadly. "What caused this?"

Havoc stopped walking as well, putting his hands in his pockets. "We aren't sure yet. Also, you'll need to be debriefed."

Naleen stared at him with a blank, irritated look on her face that showed she clearly had no idea what he was talking about. "You were the one involved in the situation, you're the one who gets to explain what happened in the building. Don't worry, Major Hawkeye is the one who will talk to you, not General Mustang or anyone big like that."

Havoc walked over to Furey and Breda, who were shifting through the rubble of what had once been a kitchen in a restaurant, resting one foot on the rubble and leaning over to them. His left arm was still in the sling, and he felt blood oozing out from the broken scab--he'd have to be more careful with a wound next time.

"Any luck?" Havoc asked, and Breda wiped sweat off his head, brushing off his hands.

"Well, it looks like the fire started in one place; over at the far end of the building. And it also looks like it wasn't an accident."

Naleen's eyes turned to slits as she saw a very injured man being carried away on a stretcher, a sound like a hiss escaping her throat. Despicable.

"Arson? But who would want to start a fire here?" Havoc asked, pulling out another cigarette. Naleen snatched it faster than a striking snake and chucked it across the road before he could blink. "Hey! Those things cost money!" He snapped, and she gave him a smug look mixed with a poisonous glare.

"Then you should be thanking me. If you stop, there's quite a bit of money saved."

He scowled and turned back towards his Subordinates, both of whom were studiously trying not to smile. "Is there any evidence to point us to the one who started it?" He knew very well that the chances were next to zero.

"Actually yes." Furey held up a small pouch that clinked when he shook it and tossed it into Havoc's hand. "Automail. It looks like the fire started a little hotter than they anticipated, and they had to get away in a heck of a hurry. They ended up getting their automail hand all torn up, and left us an entire finger behind."

Breda shook his head. "Whoever these people were, they're big time amateurs. No professional would have left us this much evidence."

Furey nodded in agreement, wiping off his smudged glasses on his shirt. He only succeeded in getting more soot on them, and he finally gave up his attempts. "No kidding. I can even figure out how they started the fire, and that is usually next to impossible."

Havoc grinned a little, a good feeling in his gut--the bad day was finally looking up. "Good thing for us that they weren't professionals. I'll take this to the General and get his opinion on things." He tucked the pouch into his pocket and strode back to his car, fishing for another cigarette. He heard footsteps following him and found Naleen walking with him.

"No." He said before she could even ask. She stopped, swaying as she nearly collapsed before regaining her balance and glaring at him.

"I have the right to know!" She argued, following him stubbornly.

"This is military business, and you are--despite your capabilities and knack for getting in trouble--a civilian. And as such you are strictly not allowed to get involved." He pulled out his lighter and held it up, but the thing was snatched from his hand before he could.

"Why must you make me suffer?" He asked as she tossed his lighter up and caught it in her palm.

"Because I can't stand the smell of them." She said, still holding his lighter prisoner.

"If you're trying to use my lighter as a hostage for letting you come, you can forget it." He said and opened his door.

"I'm coming." Her voice was forceful and strong, and she stood outside his window and stared him down with her determined blue eyes.

He sighed and jerked a thumb at the backseat, rubbing his face. "If you get killed I will feel no sorrow. Now give me my lighter back." He said, and she tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Well... I'll give it back if you stop smoking while I'm around." she said, and he grimaced.

"You really are trying to kill me." But he nodded with a scowl, holding out his hand. "Now give it back."

* * *

"If it's automail you're looking for, Rush Valley is the place to go." Roy said, handing the pouch back to Havoc. "But she can't go." He said with a finger at the doorway. Naleen was just on the other side, talking to Hawkeye at the moment. She had literally collapsed as soon as the door had closed, and was sitting on the ground resting. She refused to stop, no matter how hard she had to push herself.

"I wasn't planning on letting her, but her methods of persuasion are cruel and unusual sir." Havoc said, making sure his lighter and pack of cigarettes were still in his right breast pocket.

Roy was obviously trying to hide a smirk, but he motioned for Havoc to be gone. "You are in charge of this investigation, then, Captain." He said, and Havoc nodded and saluted before heading out the door. Naleen was crouching down and petting Black Hayate, Hawkeye's dog.

"I think that dog actually likes you." Havoc said, and she looked up in surprise, tucking her wild curls behind her ear. For an instant he caught a glimpse of a vulnerable, injured creature caught off-guard before the angry mask was back as she scowled. "Although he might be the only one."

Her scowl deepened as she gave Hayate a final pat on the head and stood. "At least he doesn't smoke." She said too cheerfully, and Havoc grimaced.

"You just refuse to let that go, don't you?" He saluted Hawkeye and followed Naleen down the hall to their car, noticing how she stumbled occasionally.

"Only because it's a ridiculous habit that makes no sense." He stopped in front of the car and whirled, holding out a hand for her to stop so suddenly she ran into it, shoulder coming to rest against his palm.

"You aren't coming." He said, and he saw her set her jaw in a frighteningly determined way. A dead-set, do-or-die determined way.

"Yes I am."

He ground his teeth in annoyance and put his hands on her shoulders. "Civilians aren't allowed to go on Military Missions for a reason! They get hurt, they get killed, and we get in trouble and have a loss of a life on our hands. I'm not willing to risk the life of any Civilian."

She rolled her eyes and shrugged him off, assuming her 'I _will_ get what I want' stance. "Havoc, I am going to Rush Valley for a visit to a friend. Maybe I can accompany you on the train?"

He felt completely confused for a moment as she changed the subject randomly before he saw the sneaky gleam in her eyes. "You mean you're going to lie, basically." He summed up, and she rolled her eyes.

"Not at all. I heard that an old friend of mine is out there, and so I'll go visit her. And if we happen to see each other while we're there...well, what a coincidence!"

He chuckled, shaking his head at her ingenuity. "You really are a mastermind. An honest-to-goodness evil mastermind." He said, and she flashed him a shadow of a grin. Her face would have lit up had she not been grimy and exhausted, and she might have been pretty if she weren't beaten and bloody.

"So...To the train station?"

He lifted his hands in the air in a sign of resignation. "To the train station."

* * *

**_The first two chapters might go a little too quick...but I did have this posted before, and I revamped it, so it should be better than it was before. Hopefully... -_-_**

**_Reviews are love, people._**

**_~Firegirl_**


	3. Adopting Kittens & Technically not a Lie

**_Whoa...how'd that little bit of EdWin fluff get in there? Who knows. My bad. XD_**

**_I only own Naleen, obviously. I wish I owned the others. -_- Sad face._**

**_READ it, REVIEW it, but most of all ENJOY IT AND ADOPT KITTENS!!!_**

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Three:**

**Adopting Kittens and Technically Not a Lie**

"This should be exciting." Naleen muttered as she bought her ticket, looking around the station. The hustle of pale skinned Amestrians was anything but appealing to her, and her entire body was aching. She was just praying for a place to sleep on the train.

Havoc shrugged, readjusting the bag on his shoulder as he headed for the next train to Rush Valley. Naleen went after him, not weighed down like he was by possessions. "Have you ever been to Rush Valley?" She asked, eyeing his packet of cigarettes warily in case he tried to get one out.

"Nah, I haven't, but I've heard a lot about it." Naleen cocked her head with an unasked question, sitting down on a bench as her body cheered for a chance to rest. "I've heard about it from the Elrics and from their friend who works as a mechanic there. Her name's Winry, and from what I've heard she's one of the best, so I'm hoping to talk to her about what we found at the scene."

Havoc sighed, forcing himself not to reach for a cigarette, and also trying to not show the fact to the lady next to him. The last thing he wanted was to see that evil smirk again.

"I've heard that it's the automail engineers Mecca. The finest Amestrian Mechanics in the business gather there."

Havoc shrugged and nodded as the two made their way to the only train in the station this early in the morning that was going to be stopping by Rush Valley as well. "It's definitely the largest collection of automail mechanics you'll find anywhere in the country." He looked over at her as she looked through the train listings. "Where are you from anyway? I'm guessing you don't live in Central..."

Naleen sighed, running a hand over her tired face. "I used to live in a small Ishbalan town in the Kanda region. Nice place. Quiet, warm, usually pretty peaceful when soldiers weren't blowing Ishbalans to bits. The town is actually getting rebuilt--at least so I hear--after the treaty. Lately I've been living in East City. Ishbalans there aren't too unusual."

Havoc scratched his neck and looked at her through the corner of his eye. "This is a bit of a personal question, but if your family was Ishbalan, why do you have blue eyes?"

She took a tired breath, slapping his hand away from the cigarette in his pocket. "Simple. I'm not 100% Ishbalan."

Havoc stared over at her as they boarded their train and sat down across from each other in front of a window. "My grandfather was Drachman, and my grandmother was half Xingan, but they were killed by bandits before my father was two when they were traveling through the Desert. My father was taken in by Ishbalans, and he fell in love with the people and with the culture. He married an Ishbalan woman, my mother."

Havoc looked down at his fingers, counting his own age during the disastrous campaign and wondering at hers. "How old were you during the Ish--I mean, the War?"

She laughed ruefully, wishing she could just curl up and sleep already. "Don't you know it's rude to ask a woman about her age?"

He looked startled, but she waved it off. "I was only joking, stupid. I was Seventeen." He blinked, adding up the years in his head.

"So you're twenty three? I had no idea! You look like a teenager!"

She grinned, a real smile for the first time. "You're not completely hopeless in all things intellectual after all."

Havoc glared at her, pulling out his lighter. "No you don't!" She swiped it away, holding it just out of his reach as Havoc glared at her.

"Do you have to do that?"

Naleen flashed him a sneaky grin. "Do you have to ask?"

He rolled his eyes, trying hard not to do something drastic. The woman pointed at the door, hoping he would leave so she could get some sleep.

"If you must smoke, do it somewhere else." She said and dropped the lighter back in his lap.

He stood up, looking haughtily down at her. "Fine, I will."

Havoc stomped down the aisle to a section with an open window and plopped down, fishing a cigarette out of his pocket. He puffed on it angrily for a few moments before he heard several other passengers open the door.

"Captain Havoc?" A voice said, and he looked up to find his gaze being held by a fierce pair of golden eyes. He would recognize them anywhere.

"Edward! How are you?" The Captain said, smiling as he tucked his cigarette behind his ear.

"We're doing fine. Why are you way back here? Don't military officers get like, first class seats?" Al asked, and the Captain scowled.

"My companion refuses to let me smoke near her." He muttered, and Al and Ed exchanged a look.

"Companion?"

Havoc realized his mistake too late. "No, she's not my girlfriend! She's headed to Rush Valley, and she insisted on riding with me." He said quickly, and Al shrugged, trying to hide a grin. Ed wasn't even trying to hide his smirk.

"Look, you can go _ask_ her if you want. She hates my guts. But not as much as my lighter..." Ed and Al exchanged another glance and stood up almost in synch. The younger Elric had more of a mischievous streak than his brother, and when put together...they were absolutely incorrigible. It was almost as if the return of Alphonse's original body had worked backwards on them, maturing them to their actual age for the first time in many years.

"Well... if you insist!" The brothers took off down the train, leaving Havoc wondering, 'what the heck just happened?'

* * *

_Death, destruction, blood..._

_Screams, silence, helplessness..._

_Endless agony from a wound not seen, ripping out her heart slowly..._

Naleen heard a tap on the glass, and she looked up groggily, an hour of sleep just barely enough for her body. She would last a bit longer now at least.

Two blonde boys were peering in, and then the door slid open. "Hi...sorry to bother you, Miss, but we were wondering--" The boy with brown eyes began, but the other broke in rudely. "Are you Havoc's girlfriend?"

She scowled, rubbing her head--she didn't have time for childish antics. "If he said that, he is a dead man."

The boys fell silent for a moment, sharing a glance. Then the boy with golden eyes laughed, shaking his head. "I like your attitude." he said, and suddenly she recognized them. She leaped up so fast they hardly saw her move, and then she had a handful of Edward's shirt and was lifting him into the air with impossible strength for one of her size.

"You're the Alchemist who captured my comrades!" She snapped, and Al looked ready to leap in but was unsure how to go about it.

"Brother!" he cried, obviously not sure how to handle the situation seeing as he didn't fight girls.

"Al, stop running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Naleen...please put Edward down." Havoc said as he entered the cabin, mouthing 'I told you so' to Edward.

"Yes please, put me down." he agreed, and she dropped him with a scowl. He barely landed on his feet, and as he stumbled and Al tried to catch him. They both were knocked off balance as the train turned, and the brothers fell in a heap at Havoc's feet. The captain rolled his eyes at the teenagers, smiling at their childishness.

"Nice talking to you boys, but we're getting off at the next stop." he said, stepping over them. "Actually, we are too!" Al said, and Ed groaned.

"Shut up Al!" He hissed, and his brother looked abashed.

"Here to see your Girlfriend Ed?" Havoc asked, and Edward turned bright red.

"Winry is not my girlfriend!!!" he protested. Behind his back, Al just nodded and mouthed 'yes she is'. Ed turned and Al looked somewhere else, a completely innocent expression on his face.

Havoc chuckled. "So why are you headed for Rush Valley?" Ed and Al exchanged a look before Ed rolled up his sleeve revealing that his automail was a little...shredded. Completely mangled and destroyed.

"We kind of had an accident with a cave in when we were cleaning up part of the transmutation circle..." Ed said with a sheepish grin, letting Havoc roll his eyes as Naleen smiled slightly--she had nearly dozed off again, and her body was slowly revitalizing itself.

"Why are you going to Rush Valley Captain Havoc? Last time I checked you didn't need automail."

"We needed some automail identification from a fire."

Ed nodded, having heard about the fire. "Whoever started it lost something, and we're hoping that someone in Rush Valley can help us." Ed nodded again, sitting on the seat beside Havoc as Al hesitantly sat on the edge of the seat where Naleen's legs were stretched out.

"Well, if Automail is what you want, Rush Valley is the place to go. As long as you aren't afraid of the Hyenas..." Al and Ed both shuddered.

"What about you?" Al asked, meeting Naleen's electric gaze with his innocent brown eyes. He was the only one who had not flinched away from its intensity, and respect for him formed instantly in her mind.

"Technically, I'm going to see my friend." She replied shortly, and they looked anywhere but her face that she knew was bruised and probably bloody. It usually was.

"What do you mean 'technically'?" Havoc and Naleen exchanged a glance, she wrinkling her nose as Havoc sat down beside her and pushing her legs out of the way as Al scooted to sit beside his brother. He still smelled of smoke.

"It's also kind of a lie. This stubborn ass here refuses to let things be and insists on coming with me to investigate the Arson." He said, and she slugged him in the arm harder than necessary.

"You're the ass, believe me. And besides, I was the one who was running through the burning building."

He shrugged, agreeing with her and secretly wincing at how hard she had hit him. "Anyway, she's covering her tracks by faking visiting her friend. We would both get busted if they knew I was letting a civilian on a case." He looked meaningfully at her, and she smiled sarcastically, crossing her legs and 'accidentally' smacking him in the knee with her combat boot. "Ouch!" he rubbed his knee, glaring at the Elric brothers as they laughed and Naleen as she smiled innocently.

"I swear you enjoy causing me pain." He said huffily, and she grinned.

"You're probably right."

He scowled and stood up as the train screeched to a halt, grabbing his bag and coat off the rack.

"Oh man...Winry's gonna _kill_ me." Ed muttered and they exited the train onto the platform.

* * *

"What did you do now?"

Those were the first words out of Winry's mouth as Ed and Al walked into her shop first. Havoc and Naleen walked in after them, taking in Winry's new store.

Ed glared at her. "Why do you always assume the worst when I stop by?"

She chucked a wrench, and it missed him by centimeters. "Because you almost always come here because you broke yourself! What did you do this time?" She demanded, knowing she was right.

Ed winced. "Had an accident with a cave in?" He said, preparing to wince.

Winry smacked her face, and looked irritated before sighing. "All right, let's see the damage this time."

She smiled and quickly hugged Al, ruffling his head as she went from angry friend to affectionate sister. "It's good to see you Al. And at least you didn't let him completely break it again."

Ed opened his mouth in protest. "That was not my fault!"

But Winry wasn't listening. "Hey there, Lieutenant Havoc!" She said, and shook Havoc's hand.

"Hi Winry; but I'm a Captain now. We were wondering if you could help us identify some Automail parts?" She nodded with a smile and turned to face the Elrics again.

"You. Sit." She demanded, and Edward sat down with a grumble as she examined the broken bits of metal in Havoc's hand.

"Sorry...I don't recognize the style, I can only tell its pretty old school. There's a specialist down the road who could probably help you." She said, handing the pouch back to Havoc.

"Thanks." He said and saluted Edward before pulling Naleen out.

"Havoc's new girlfriend is really pretty. Although she looks like she got in a fight." She said, turning around to work on Ed's arm.

"She's...interesting." Al said, and Ed snorted.

"If by interesting you mean bloodthirsty and scary, then yes. Very interesting." He mumbled as she motioned for him to get ready for the Automail repair.

"At least she doesn't make me strip down to my underwear on a regular occasion." He muttered as he pulled his shirt off and flopped face first on the cot, sticking his arm out.

"Al, I'm getting really low on some supplies. Do you think you could go to the store for me?" Winry asked, pointing to a list stuck to the door. He nodded and whisked out the door, leaving Edward and Winry alone. She worked in silence for a few moments, completely focused on her work.

"Ouch! Do you have to yank so hard?" Ed winced as Winry turned a screw a little too tight.

"Sorry." She amended, massaging his sore shoulder where the screw had tightened the nerves. He slowly relaxed, a rare thing for Ed, and she found her other hand dropping from his arm and moving to his shoulder as well. She massaged his shoulders, and his eyes began to droop from the sensation.

"What are you doing?" He mumbled, trying to act annoyed when he was obviously enjoying it.

"Being nice. It has been known to happen once in a while." She replied, her careful hands trailing down his back. "Besides, it's easier to repair your automail when you aren't super tense." Ed smiled faintly to himself as Winry carefully rubbed his shoulder. She was surprised by how muscular he was; he was still small, but every inch of him was strong and tough as leather...

"_Meow_."

Ed and Winry both looked up to see a sprig of dirty blonde hair disappear behind the door. There was a shuffle as a teenage boy tried to hide behind it, and another muffled mew.

"Al..."

Alphonse stepped out, looking abashed that he had intruded on their moment. His hands were behind his back, and he was carrying a box. Another mew came from the box, and he turned red again, mumbling something about 'couldn't leave them out in the cold'.

"Haven't we gone over this, Al? We can't just take home random strays! We don't have anywhere to take care of them!" Ed fussed, and Winry shoved him back on the cot, resuming her repair work.

"Let me see, Al." She said, and the fifteen year old brought the box down to rest on the bed. Two tiny kittens were scrabbling at the edge of the box, one a rich, deep brown with speckles of lighter brown and tan, and the other a silky black.

"They're adorable!" She said, her eyes shining with an inherent female love of baby anythings. "They can stay with me." She said, and the Elrics both looked surprised.

"What?"

She dropped Ed's arm and picked up the little brown kitten, kissing its silky head as her blue eyes shone with kindness. "I said I'm keeping them." Al literally beamed, and Ed looked surprised.

"I thought you were a dog person." She tapped him on the head with the wrench, just hard enough to sting.

"I like animals in general. Although I have to say..." She got a sly gleam in her eyes as she tapped Ed's head again, a little softer this time.

"Military Dogs are my favorite." Ed turned bright red as Al whooped with laughter.

"Now sit down and let me fix your automail!"

* * *

**_Awww Al's so cute. I love him. This chapter wasn't much about Havoc and Naleen...sorry about that. I will probably be adding another chapter in this story though, because it wasn't sufficient last time._**

**_Review please!_**

**_Adopt homeless animals, guys, it really does make a difference. Be a good person like Al and Winry, not a grouchy one like Ed. Love equals happy Kittens with homes!_**

**_~Firegirl_**


	4. Old Friends and A Story of Lost Love

**_Hey there readers, this is the fourth installment! Hope you like it! Also...I hope no one kills me, but eventually I do give made up names to Scar and his brother. Sorry if it makes anyone upset--you never know._**

**_I don't own any of the FMA stuff but Naleen, durr._**

**_READ it, REVIEW it or I will SIC SCAR ON YOU_**

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**Chapter Four:**

**Old Friends and A Story of Lost Love**

Naleen and Havoc walked down the road, the heat waves making the whole world look faintly fuzzy. The mountains in the distance wavered, and the stifling heat pounded down on their backs.

"Wow. It's really hot here." Havoc panted in his thick blue uniform, and Naleen shrugged. Her loose cotton shirt and light breeches let the heat pass right through, and her heavy combat boots had been discarded along with their belongings back at Winry's place.

"How can you walk around with no shoes on?" He asked, and she smiled ironically.

"Well, when you grow up in a desert in a town where no children have shoes, you kind of get used to it."

He winced slightly, wondering if he had made a mistake. "Sorry." he amended, noticing as she suddenly stiffened.

"Get down!" She ordered and grabbed him by the collar, yanking him behind a parked car as a gunshot rang out. Naleen shoved him against the car and ducked, her arm splayed across his chest.

"Whoa!" Havoc yelped as a hole appeared in the metal by his arm, flinching back in surprise.

"Watch out!" She snapped and grabbed the pistol from the holster on his hip with snake-like speed, whipping it out and cocking it in one motion. She fired back, and he heard someone shout in pain as she hit him or near him. They couldn't see the person, but their gun had silenced.

"Yeah, you better run!" She shouted, and suddenly the window beside her shattered as it was assaulted by bullets.

"Aaugh!"

She ducked down, grimacing as blood trickled down her cheek, staining her shiny white hair crimson. She leaped back up and fired off some more shots before sliding down the side of the vehicle and tossing his gun in his lap as footsteps rang out, retreating down the alleyway.

"They're gone." She said, sitting down heavily. Havoc was just staring at her blankly, and he stammered a rebuke.

"H-hey! I'm the military officer, shouldn't I have been doing that?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, and she chuckled cynically, shrugging her slim shoulders.

"Probably. But I have way faster reflexes."

His eyes flickered to her face, and she touched her forehead with her hand. When she pulled it away, there was blood on her fingers. "Damn. The window glass got me."

Havoc pulled out his handkerchief and offered it to her. She pressed it to the cuts on her face and stood up, eyes darting around and muscles tense as if prepared for another attack.

"I think they got your message to get out of here." Havoc said, and she relaxed as he stood up. "How bad did the glass cut you?" He asked, and she shrugged.

"Not that bad." She was still pressing the handkerchief to her temple, and he lifted her hand off the wound. There was a two inch gash on her head, and blood wasn't trickling; it was nearly gushing. She rolled her eyes at his concerned expression.

"You're going to need stitches!" He said, and she waved him off, putting the cloth back to the cut. "Alright! We'll go back to Winry's and get a bandage, and then it's straight to the Specialist!" She said, and he nodded before hesitating.

"Can you walk that far?"

She gave him a glare, and he stopped trying to help her. "Hurry up. The sooner we get this dealt with, the sooner we can get back to our job." She snapped, and he rushed after her.

* * *

"Alright, you're all done." Winry said, and Ed sat up, swinging his arm around.

"Thanks, Winry. You're the best." He said, standing up and wiggling his ankle. He and Al looked at each other, and grinned fiercely.

"YAAH!" Ed leaped at his brother, who ducked and set the speckled kitten back in the box, brown eyes narrowed in playful concentration.

"Ed! Don't break it already!" Winry cried, and the brothers launched at each other, arms and legs flying. Al blocked his attacks with ease, going for the defensive position as Ed maintained a constant offensive.

"You are so impossible!"

Suddenly Al stuck his foot out, and Ed fell flat on his face hard enough to knock the wind out of him. "Ouch." he mumbled as Al helped him up with an abashed smile.

"Looks like I win again, brother." He said sweetly before going back to his kittens as if nothing had happened.

"I was distracted!" Ed said defensively. Winry glared at them, but when Al set the black kitten in her arms her frown melted into a smile.

"What are you going to name them, Winry?"

She stroked the silky kitten, her smile turning sad. "Well, this fellow here is going to be Maes." She said, and Ed started in surprise. "Hughes was like a father to me when I stayed with his family, and I miss him almost as much as my real dad sometimes. I think he'd be happy."

Al pulled the speckled kitten off his head, wincing as she nibbled on his thumb. "And her name is going to be Robin, because her eyes are blue and speckled like a robin's egg." Winry decided, reaching over to tickle it under its chin.

Al smiled and rubbed Robin's stomach, the kitten purring. "Maes and Robin. I like it." He said, and Ed rolled his eyes.

"You're such a _girl_ sometimes, Al." He muttered, and Winry chucked a wrench at his head without even looking, nailing him right between the eyes.

"Winry? You wouldn't happen to have any bandages around, would you?" A voice said, and Havoc walked in, out of breath and his right hand bloodstained.

"What happened?" She asked, jumping up and handing Maes to Al.

"Naleen has a cut, nothing bad. Don't freak out." He said, but Ed knew by the way his fingers were fumbling for a cigarette that he was nervous.

"Ed, there's a First Aid kit in my room, would you get it? Where is she?" Winry took charge, and Ed rushed up the stairs to find the bandages, still rubbing his forehead.

"Havoc, you make it sound like I'm dying." Naleen grumbled, holding a blood-soaked handkerchief to her head as Winry and Havoc came back to the side room.

"Well it's an awful lot of blood..." He said, and Winry thought she saw a green tint to his face. Another time she would have to make fun of him for it.

"Ed, hurry up!" She shouted and knelt down by Naleen, who was sitting on the floor.

"Stop making such a fuss, Havoc, you sound like a mother hen." She muttered as he winced when Winry pulled the cloth back.

"Yeah...That's a pretty good scratch." Winry said, and Ed handed her the box of doctor materials. "Well, it doesn't look too deep, but it's really wide, which worries me. I think I'll have to stitch it up."

Al made a squeaking sound from the other room, and Ed rolled his eyes, but looked a bit worried himself. Was Winry even allowed to do that kind of thing? "

Don't worry, I know how to do it." She pulled out her tools and ordered Ed to get some clean towels wet with warm water.

"Do you have any anesthetic?" Havoc asked, and Naleen snorted. But it was a little less heartfelt than usual, and she looked somewhat dizzy.

"For this little scratch? Havoc, you're such a baby." Winry cleaned the blood off her head and poked the needle through the skin, making Havoc look away squeamishly as Al focused studiously on the kittens. She was finished a few minutes later, and Naleen stood up shakily.

"I must have lost more blood than I thought." She muttered, swaying slightly. Havoc reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, steadying her. Instead of the severe tongue lashing he thought he would receive, Naleen just said, "Thank you, Havoc." quietly and ran a hand over her face.

Winry shook her head. "That was quite a bit of blood loss, Naleen. I think Havoc should go by himself to find out what happened."

Naleen's eyes suddenly crackled and popped with flame, and she stepped forward. "Why can't you people get it through your thick skulls that I'm coming, dammit?!" She snapped, and everyone in the room fell silent as she stared them down. Then a large hand settled on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Havoc's calm blue eyes looking down at her.

"You know, I'm a little shaken up from all the excitement today anyway. We should go tomorrow when we've both had some rest." Havoc said, and Naleen finally settled down, secretly grateful for the chance to rest for real.

"Fine. Tomorrow." She said, tossing her hair unhappily. Ed suppressed a snicker; she was quite a sight with her flashing blue eyes, her bloodstained hair and the stitches in her forehead. Like some kind of crazy demon.

"Havoc, you have a room in the motel across the street, right?"

He nodded, and Al nudged Ed, suggesting it was a good idea. "Well, I'm not letting Naleen stay with any of you overnight--she's just going to have to stay here." Winry said, but looked excited at the thought of a Slumber Party. Havoc looked relieved that someone had willingly taken Naleen off his hands, and he bid them goodnight.

"Night Winry!" Al called before scuttling away to help with the bags, and Ed waved with a slight smile before following Havoc and Alphonse across the street.

Winry picked up Naleen's small suitcase and carried it up the rickety wooden stairs to the single bedroom, the woman following uncertainly. "Sorry about the tight quarters, but I figured you'd probably rather sleep on a cot here than on the floor in Havoc's smoky hotel room." Naleen laughed, and Winry smiled at her; she was actually really nice when she wasn't hissing and clawing like a cat.

"Thank you for your kindness. I don't know why you're all so nice to me; it's not like I've done anything to deserve it."

Winry thunked the bag on the floor and pulled a blanket out of the closet, snapping the dust out and laying it out on the cot along with a slightly lumpy pillow. "There's a shower in the bathroom. You look like you could use one." Winry said, eyes on the crimson streak in the Ishbalan's white hair. "Thank you, Winry." Naleen said with a smile and disappeared.

* * *

"Winry doesn't seem that bad, Ed. You always made her sound like some kind of fire breathing dragon." Havoc said as they ate in the hotel food court, some of the last customers up at the late hour.

Ed shrugged, and Al grinned. "That's because she flirts with brother by hurting--Ow!" He began, but Ed swept his elbow out from under his chin and sent him face-first into his mashed potatoes. "Brother!" Al spluttered, and Havoc tried really hard not to laugh.

"We never speak of the animals comment, understood?" Ed said, his eyes burning into Al's. Alphonse nodded with almost a whimper as his brother stood up and shoved his tray into the trash bin, storming away up the stairs.

"The 'animal comment'?" Havoc asked, and suddenly Ed poked his head back around the corner, drawing his finger across his neck and then pointing at Al. The younger boy looked down unhappily, trying to hide a pout.

"Sorry, Sir. I've been ordered by a superior not to speak of it..." he said, and the golden braid disappeared around the corner. He leaned a little closer, and motioned for Havoc to lean in conspiratorially.

"Ask Winry, she might tell you." He whispered, and Havoc stood up, bidding the lone brother goodnight.

Al was afraid to go to sleep that night after the look his big brother gave him upon returning.

* * *

Naleen came back into the bedroom a few minutes later as Winry finished getting the cot set up, her pajamas already on. Her pajamas were pale red, almost pink. It was form fitting and comfortable looking. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and the color set her skin and hair contrast off remarkably well.

"I'm definitely glad that I didn't let you stay with Havoc." Winry said with a laugh, and Naleen sat down on the cot with fluid grace. She set about situating her cot, and Winry pulled her knees up, looking like she really wanted to talk but not knowing how to start.

"Hey Naleen...Can I ask you something kind of personal?" Winry asked, and Naleen shrugged her slim shoulders.

"Of course. I'd be honored that you trust me enough."

Winry glanced at the hotel across the street, watching as a small shadow passed in front of a third story window, long hair visible in the shadowy light. "Have you ever been in love?"

Naleen jerked back, obviously startled at the question. Winry was blushing, looking down, and Naleen relaxed slightly at the female camaraderie.

"Sorry, was that a weird question?" Winry asked, but Naleen shook her head with a smile.

"No, it was just...unexpected." She sighed and fingered her deep purple ribbon necklace, eyes going out of focus as her mind and heart drifted. "Once, a long time ago. Back home, there was a family who lived next to us. They had two sons; a Warrior Priest and a quiet Bookworm." She smiled softly at the fond memory.

"Let me guess; you were head over heels for the warrior?" Winry teased, and Naleen's smile faded quickly, replaced by a look of sadness.

"No, it was the other who had my heart. He was quiet and shy, and he was fiercely protective of his little brother. Kind of like your friends the Elrics."

Winry blushed and nodded, pulling the blanket around her shoulders as the chill desert night set in. "What did it feel like? To be in love, I mean."

"Well...It was wonderful. I loved him and he loved me, but we never really spoke about it. It was just...silent. I can't really explain the feeling. It's like...like everything is right with the world, and that no matter how horrible things on the outside get, as long as you have each other, it will all be ok." She felt her eyes tear up, and she angrily brushed them away.

"What happened?"

There they went, cascading down her face. "It was during the war. He was the one who suggested I go stay with some family friends in Xing for a few weeks. I think he somehow knew what was going to happen."

She felt a warm hand cover hers, and she looked up. Winry was smiling gently, and she put her arms around the woman's shoulders, feeling their hearts draw near in the memories.

"He was killed by an Alchemist." Her voice was soft, and it held none of the usual malice she said the word 'alchemist' with. She was resigned, sad, but no longer angry--a new development that she wasn't quite sure how to handle.

"I'm sorry, Naleen." Winry said, and Naleen hugged the teenager back quickly before drawing away.

"How old are you anyway?" Winry asked as she let go, big blue eyes curious.

Naleen laughed, wiping away the last of her tears. "What would you say?"

Winry frowned, looking her up and down for a moment. "Well, if I didn't know you were a teenager in

Ishbal...I would probably say eighteen?"

Naleen laughed again, a joyous and ringing sound unlike her bitter chuckle.

"What? How old are you really?" Winry grumped.

"I'm twenty three!"

Winry looked surprised. "Seriously?" The Ishbalan nodded, and her wet hair that was drying into bouncy white curls bobbed.

"Well don't tell Havoc. If he knew you aren't a teenager he might start hitting on you."

Naleen's smile disappeared, and she folded her arms. "That man." She muttered, and Winry raised an eyebrow.

"And here I was thinking you had a crush on him..."

Naleen scowled darkly, flipping her hair out of her face. "Not if he was the last man on earth!" She said it with a little too much force, as if she was trying very hard to make Winry believe it. Or maybe herself.

"Uh huh." Winry obviously didn't believe her. The troublemaker just smiled sneakily.

"What about you? Have you ever felt it?" Naleen asked, quickly turning the tables on Winry. She blinked, and her eyes flicked to the hotel across the street without even thinking about it.

"Ah. Edward holds your heart." Winry blushed deeply, knowing that there was no way Naleen would believe her otherwise.

"Is it really that obvious?" She asked, and Naleen laughed.

"Kind of. It's alright; I can tell he feels that way about you too. All I've heard about you is 'Are you going to see your girlfriend, Ed'? And then he'll freak out and say 'no she isn't' in that way that proves he truly likes you."

Winry blushed again, and Naleen placed a hand on her arm. "You're lucky. Young Love is the sweetest kind." Winry blushed even harder, and suddenly a little black ball of fluff jumped onto the bed, running from the brown ball of fluff like a rocket.

"Robin! Maes!" Winry cried as her two new kittens tumbled over each other. Naleen gently lifted the feisty Robin into her arms, and Maes leaped into the safety of Winry's lap, ducking out of sight.

"Careful, Robin likes to scratch." Winry warned, before realizing how silly it was to be warning the warrior Ishbalan. Naleen smiled and tickled the Kitten's stomach, batting at its paws teasingly. Winry watched and suddenly noticed something; the two were so very similar. They both had rich, brown skin, shimmering blue eyes, the feline grace that usually only came in tigers from the far jungles of Xing. And their personalities were a perfect match. Naleen giggled as Robin started chewing on her finger.

"She likes you." Winry observed, and Naleen smiled.

"I hope so. She's absolutely adorable." Robin made a slight hissing sound, and Naleen laughed again, as if the ferocious little cat were the most adorable thing ever.

"Why did you name them Robin and Maes?"

Winry sighed, stroking the mellow black cat's ears as he purred contentedly, yellow-green eyes closing sleepily. "Well, Robin is Robin because her fur and her eyes are speckled like a Robin's egg. Not that original." Naleen shrugged, still cuddling the kitten that was obviously surprised anyone could control her flailing claws. "And Maes was an old friend of ours. He was killed last year." She said softly, holding the kitten to her chest. He blinked sleepily, his eyes opening in indignation as she cradled him.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Winry smiled slightly. "Well, Roy went to great measures to make sure he was avenged."

Naleen automatically stiffened at the name. "Roy Mustang? The Flame Alchemist?"

Winry nodded, confused by the woman's reaction. "Yeah, why?"

The Ishbalan shrugged, and allowed Robin to sprint away after a screw that was rolling across the floor, attacking it fiercely. "It's in the past now. Nothing important." Naleen curled up on the cot. "Goodnight." Winry looked at back of the other woman with just a touch of sadness as their heart to heart was cut short.

"Goodnight."

* * *

Winry and Naleen looked up from breakfast as Al dragged Ed into the kitchen, Havoc helping. "But it's not bothering me! She'll kill me!" Ed snapped out as the other two dragged him in, going slightly pale when he saw Winry's face go stony.

"What did you do now?" Ed froze and sighed as Al released him. "Well, these two say that I'm walking weird and I'm not." He protested, and Winry just motioned with her wrench at him.

"Well, walk then." Ed sighed and walked around the room, feeling exasperated at being forced to be an exhibition.

Winry nodded, looking thoughtful. "They're right. You are walking uneven." She pointed at a chair, making Ed sit down.

Naleen scratched her head, carefully avoiding the stitches. "Your forehead is bruised." Ed turned and glared at her as Winry made a couple measurements.

"You know what, Ed...You actually grew a few inches." Winry sounded a little surprised as Ed glared at her too, more fiercely.

"Why do you have to sound surprised?!" He yelled, looking irritated.

Winry smacked his head with the wrench, not as hard as she might have but hard enough to sting. "Anyway, give me a couple days to pull a leg together for you." She bent down and disconnected his leg, much to Naleen's surprise, and stood up again with the mechanism slung over one shoulder.

"Here, let me go to the back and get you a spare. Al, I'm out of B-4 screws and wire filler, could you go get some please?"

Al suddenly flushed in guilt as he remembered that he was supposed to have done that earlier and came back instead with kittens. "Uh, yeah, I'll do that right now." He muttered as he walked out.

Naleen grinned slyly at the boy. "Make sure you get those before you go for the pet store again." Al blushed as she chuckled, but then heard a large crash as Naleen tried to steal Havoc's cigarette again.

"I told you not to smoke that!"

Al chuckled as he walked down the street, pitying Winry's poor shop.

"Thanks sir." Al said with a smile as he bagged Winry's supplies. The nice thing about being in Rush Valley without automail, it was easy to get things done without a pack of crazed shop owners attacking you. He slung the bag over his shoulder and looked up, feeling happy.

"Hiya!"

Al jumped and turned to see a dark skinned girl sitting there on the wall, one leg slung over each side.

"Paninya! Hi, I didn't see you." Paninya rolled her eyes as she turned on the wall.

"Well that much was obvious. I just got back from seeing Dominic, so I didn't know you were in town. You're looking good!" She quickly jumped down and landed easily, the automail legs barely creaking as they walked together. "I'm guessing with all that stuff on your shoulder you're headed for Winry's shop."

Al nodded, coat waving in the hot breeze. "Yeah, brother needed his arm and leg adjusted."

Paninya rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh. You and I both know he broke it again." Then she realized something very odd. "Wait..." Paninya set a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye, holding her hand parallel to his forehead. "Since when were you taller than me?!"

Al blinked his big brown eyes. "Huh?" He looked over at her and realized she was right--his eye line came to the top of her head. "Oh. I guess I am taller than you. I passed Brother up too!"

Paninya crossed her arms and looked grumpy. "Crud. I can't ruffle your hair anymore!" She looked up and reached for his hair. "Never mind, I still can. It just doesn't feel the same." Paninya stuck her hands in her pocket and kept walking as Al stared after her for a moment before walking after her.

"Girls." He muttered, still attempting to figure out the complex mindsets of the female species. Suddenly Paninya stopped as she turned a corner, brow furrowed in disbelief.

"What the heck?"

Al looked over her shoulder, craning his head slightly. A young man was laying flat on his face and a young woman was rubbing her eyes as she stood next to him, looking embarrassed. Al pushed past Paninya as she walked after him.

"Lanfan? Lin?"

The woman looked up and smiled slightly at Al's startled eyes. "Alphonse. I was not expecting to encounter you here." Lanfan gave a respectful bow toward him before looking back down.

Al looked at the young man sprawled across the ground worriedly. "Did he faint from heatstroke again?"

Lanfan sighed as she nudged Lin with the toe of her shoe. "Unfortunately, the prince is unresponsive right now."

Paninya looked at the prone form on the ground before looking at the other woman. "Lanfan, right? One minute." Paninya jumped up to the roof of the building over them and ran across it as Lanfan watched in surprise before looking back at Al.

"Is she a traveling acrobat?"

Al chuckled and shook his head. "Nah, she's just good at that kind of thing."

Suddenly Paninya jumped down from the rooftop with a large container in her hand. "This should do it." Before Lanfan could do anything, Paninya dumped a large bucket of very cold water on top of the prone form on the ground.

"AAUGH!" Lin Yao leaped up, his eyes wide. "What was that for?" He gasped for air as Paninya smirked.

Lanfan glared at her. "You should not do that to the Prince."

"Um, I just did. Sorry, a little late now."

Al quickly stepped between the two girls before they started throwing things at each other as he helped Lin up. "How are you Lin? What are you doing here?"

The Prince wiped his face off unhappily, shaking his long hair. "Lanfan needed automail repair."

Al looked over at the woman, who was talking coolly to Paninya and decided to ask about it. "How did you get here this time?"

Lin grinned before proudly displaying an official looking, slightly wet passport. "This time we're legit."

Al shook his head with a smile. "I should probably take you to see Winry before Lanfan and Paninya decide to start hitting each other."

Lin grinned. "Yes, that would be good."

* * *

"Winry! Winry, where are you?" Al walked into the shop with Lanfan nearly dragging Lin behind her, patient as ever with her lord.

Winry looked up from her place beside Ed, cranking a bolt to hard and making Ed squeak in pain. "Lanfan! How is your automail holding up?" She asked. Lanfan smiled and bowed her head politely, then held out her arm hesitantly. Winry made a small choking sound, and Naleen--who was being forced by Winry to sit and not over-exert herself--laughed out loud.

"How...did you possibly manage to break your arm this bad? Even Ed hardly ever breaks it this bad!"

There were holes in the metal, and small pieces hung in crooked bits off her joints. "I was sparring with my grandfather." She said, and Lin grinned at her abashed expression.

"Your Grandfather?" Naleen asked, looking incredulous.

"My other bodyguard." Lin said, and she raised an eyebrow.

"I'd like to meet an old man who can do that to Winry's Automail. He rivals Ed for his destructiveness." Lin grinned at the Ishbalan, sneaking her a flirtatious wink.

"STOP USING ME AS AN EXAMPLE!" Ed snapped from the corner, and a wrench chucked at his head shut him up although it missed this time.

"So what's your name?" Lin asked as Winry set Lanfan down to take a look at her arm. Naleen smiled back, coyly crossing her legs and smiling at the young man.

"Naleen Korish. Why do you have bodyguards?"

He grinned again, sitting backwards on a chair beside her. "I'm a prince. Prince Lin Yao of the Xing Dynasty."

Lanfan rolled her eyes at his vanity, shaking her head.

"Is he always like this? He looks like a peacock." Winry whispered, and Lanfan nodded.

"Unfortunately, his ego is...larger than average."

Havoc was barely controlling his laughter, and Al cocked his head.

"What's so funny, Captain?"

Havoc snickered again, shaking his head. "I don't think they know how old the other is." He whispered, and Al's eyes widened slightly in amusement.

"How old _is_ Naleen?" He whispered, and Havoc snickered. "Twenty three." Al made a sound like a choke, and Ed motioned for him to come over to his corner where he was sitting one-legged in his boxers, irritated at being left out. When Al whispered into his ear, an evil grin spread across his face. An evil grin that only an Elric could accomplish.

"Prince? Wouldn't you be a Lord?" Naleen asked, looking slightly confused.

Lin shook his head, tugging on his ponytail. "Not until I'm eighteen."

She looked startled, one eyebrow popping up. "How old _are_ you?"

He grinned at Ed slightly. "Sixteen. Same as underwear boy there."

She tsked, and a blush crept up her neck. "Oh. My mistake."

Now it was his turn to be confused. "Why, how old are you?"

Ed lost all control and burst into laughter, and Havoc joined him momentarily with Al trying not to laugh and failing miserably.

"Twenty three."

Lin blushed fiercely, and the rest of the people in the room dissolved into laughter as the two stumbled to regain their dignity.

"My Prince..." Lanfan was trying very hard to keep a straight face. "Perhaps you should cut back on your flirting next time. I didn't know you liked older women so much."

Then she laughed as Lin turned and smacked his head on the table. Havoc sent Naleen a smug smirk, and she raised her hands in innocence. "Hey, I didn't know either. And if you make a cougar comment, I will personally injure you permanently." She muttered, her dark skin tinged red as she blushed.

Suddenly there was a shout of surprise, and Lin jumped up as Winry detached the nerves and pulled Lanfan's arm off easily. "What are you doing?!" He cried, and the others looked surprised by his concern.

"I-is it supposed to do that?"

Winry nodded, her eyebrow raised. "Automail is designed to come off, Lin. And someone..." She looked over at Lanfan, who was looking away. "Broke their automail so badly that I have to start from scratch on completely _custom_ work." She set the arm down on the table and started pulling out any pieces that could be salvaged as Lin stared back and forth from Lanfan's socket to Winry's work in shock. He looked embarrassed and sat back down, avoiding both Lanfan and Naleen's eyes. "Well...that was interesting." Lin looked up and found Ed smirking evilly at him. "Serves you right for having a freakishly adult face."

Lin scowled and swept out, leaving the others in more convulsions of laughter, even as he was trying hard not to smile at being caught in such a good joke.

* * *

The next day Havoc and Naleen headed for the specialist down the road, a young man named John Vernes. He was a supplier of parts for customized automail, and he looked surprised when Havoc walked in and gave him the pouch of automail pieces.

"You need me to identify these?"

Havoc nodded. "Yes sir, that's what we need."

Naleen stayed by the shop door, her silhouette blocking the light, turning her into a veritable shadow as she surveyed the street, on high alert for danger.

"Well...let's see..." John started pulling apart the fingers and pulled on a set of magnifying glasses. Using tiny tools, he started taking the conduits apart and yanked out a few wires, holding them up to a model, occasionally humming and hawing. Havoc was finally wondering whether he could identify it when he looked up, the glasses giving him the look of a deranged bookworm.

"Well, it's a good thing you had all these pieces, otherwise I wouldn't have had a clue what model this was." He sat back, holding some of the pieces up to the light. "It looks like an E3194--it's one of the common models. 4% chrome, 3% carbon, no extra features."

Havoc sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Well, it's back to square one."

The mechanic looked back up and held up a hand. "Well, there is something interesting about this. The E3194 model hasn't been produced in at least 5 years--the strength-to-weight ratio got revolutionized, and judging from the wear and tear, the automail looks seven to nine years old." He swept up the pieces and wrote down the model number before handing Havoc everything.

"Alright, just one more question. Has anyone come lately looking for repair parts for this model?"

Vernes blinked owlishly, pulling off the glasses. "No, not that I recall. And I'm virtually the only engineer in rush Valley that has supplies for that model. If you need repair pieces, feel free to drop by. I've been trying to get rid of those pieces for ages now."

Havoc nodded as he tucked them into a side pocket. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks." He calmly left the store, Naleen falling in step behind him.

"So do we have a lead?"

Havoc shrugged. "At least we know what to look for. If they needed repair parts, they probably would have already come here."

Naleen smiled slightly at an inside joke. "So whoever did this takes better care of their automail then Ed or Lanfan?"

Havoc chuckled. "Pretty much." He looked up at the hot, bleached desert sky. "Looks like we're headed back to Central."

* * *

**_If this whole story seems a little scatterbrained, I apologize--I wrote it like three years ago. -_-_**

**_REVIEWS ARE LOVE_**

**_~Firegirl_**


	5. Shot at AGAIN and a Crazy Alchemist

**_Chapter five, this is a rather intense chapter, in my opinion._**

**_READ, REVIEW and ENJOY!!!_**

* * *

**Chapter Five:  
Shot at AGAIN and a Crazy Alchemist Attacks**

Naleen and Havoc walked down the street headed for Central Command dejectedly, unhappy about hitting another dead end.

"At least we know where to go if anything turns up." He muttered, and she scowled and kicked a rock with her combat boot, sending it ricocheting between the buildings with eerie echoes under the overcast sky.

"But we still failed to find out who did it." Suddenly there was the sound of gunfire, and they both ducked into a doorway by instinct, diving for cover.

"Why do we keep getting shot at?!" She snapped as they huddled in the corners of the doorway, trying to make themselves as small as possible.

"It's what happens in the Military." He said through clenched teeth as he hoped they wouldn't get hit.

The gunfire suddenly started coming from a different direction, putting Naleen right in the line of fire. Havoc grabbed her arm and pulled her to the other side of the alcove, curling around her and protecting her small body with his, but exposing more of himself in the process. "Havoc, you idiot, you're going to get shot!" She hissed, hitting him in the shoulder, but he just closed his eyes and tried to make them as small as possible.

"Get my radio!" He hissed, pointing to his side pocket as bullets bounced off the wall around them. She snatched it and held it up, her eyes hard as diamonds; she was a war hardened woman. She wasn't afraid.

"Turn the knob and call for help! If we can get backup, we'll be less likely to get shot." He ordered, and she followed his instructions.

"Central Command." A voice crackled through, and Havoc took the radio, still in front of her as he pushed her farther into the corner, their bodies pressed against each other.

"This is Captain Havoc! We are under fire off of Main Street, I repeat, we are under fire! One officer and one Civilian, requesting backup!" He shouted, and she flinched as a bullet came dangerously close to them. Havoc pulled out his pistol and fired back blindly, and one gun stopped firing on them. Havoc was now crouched in the middle of the doorway, still placing himself between Naleen and the guns.

"Havoc, get back in here, you idiot!" She snapped. When he didn't respond, she grabbed his other gun and joined him, firing on their attackers. The sound of running feet reached their ears, and the firing suddenly stopped as reinforcements arrived.

Naleen's hands were shaking slightly, and she slid down the wall, wiping sweat off her brow. "Wow. I've never been in a fight with that many guns before." She murmured. Havoc was shaking too, but he was holding his stomach. "What's wrong, Cap? Did you get a little shaken..." She trailed off as she saw a shocking sight.

His hand was covered in blood that was quickly seeping through his uniform. "You idiot, what did you do?!" She cried, and he slid down against the wall.

"Aw man. This is gonna ruin my whole day." He said breathlessly, hands pressed to his side. Blood was beginning to soak his jacket, and his eyes were going in and out of focus as he held onto consciousness. The sound of shouting now accompanied the running feet.

"The backup is here, just stay alive until we get you to a hospital!" She ordered, and he smiled weakly, winking at her.

"I'll do my best, commander." He suddenly coughed violently, and blood dripped through his fingers.

"Captain!" A soldier suddenly appeared at their side, his expression concerned as more soldiers scrambled about. Havoc leaned forward into Naleen, and she slung his wide arm around her slim shoulder.

"We have to get him to a hospital!" She said, and the soldier nodded, motioning for her to follow. There was a jeep a few yards down the alley, and a familiar man with a sprig of orange hair jumped out of the back.

"Havoc!" Breda looked shocked to see his companion unconscious, and he took Havoc's other arm around his shoulders. The two were both much smaller than the Captain, and his feet dragged in the mud as they struggled to haul him towards the jeep.

"Breda! Naleen? What happened?!" Furey was driving the jeep, and as the two dumped Havoc in the back Breda motioned for him to go.

"Step on it! No time to lose--we've got a man down." the Jeep sped away towards the hospital, Furey looking like he was trying not to freak out. Naleen was holding Havoc's head and keeping him still, and Breda was trying to staunch the bleeding.

"How bad is it?" Naleen asked, and Breda grimaced.

"A bullet or three in the side, one in the chest probably through the lung, couple in the leg...Should I go on?" She shook her head, feeling sick as blood began to soak the edge of her pant leg. They screeched to a halt outside the Central Hospital, and nurses were already rushing out with a rolling stretcher. They loaded Havoc up and rushed him inside, leaving Naleen to be questioned by several Military officers.

"What exactly happened?"

One man with long blond hair and deep green eyes was questioning Naleen, and she saw a PI tag on his uniform. "I'm Private Investigator Lucien Harven, Miss, and I believe you need to be debriefed on this incident." His tone was calm, but the look in his eyes was a mixture of anger, worry, and calculation.

"Why were you with Captain Havoc?" He asked, and she nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She still wasn't very comfortable with all these military people, but it was a necessity at the moment.

"We're...friends." She said, and smiled slightly as she realized it was true. Somehow, they really had become friends.

"Are you in the Military?"

She shook her head, staring down at her hands that were covered with Havoc's blood. Then a short woman with curly brown hair and concerned brown eyes appeared at Harven's shoulder, shooing him away.

"You look like you just came out of a war! Lucien, stop interrogating her and let me get her cleaned up, then you can play detective."

He shrugged, and the woman motioned for Naleen to follow her. "My name is Cara Gibson, I'm a PI too. Are you alright?" She asked, and Naleen nodded, running a hand through her hair. Cara smiled ironically, and Naleen realized she had probably just put a streak of red through her snow white hair.

"Why am I getting in trouble for this?" She asked as Cara steered her towards the Military Latrine areas where there were showers. Cara laughed, and suddenly Naleen stopped dead.

"I need to make sure Havoc is all right before I go." She started turning, but felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see the solemn face of Cara Gibson.

"He'll be fine, and you need to be debriefed first. He got shot up pretty bad, so he's probably still in surgery. Clean up, get debriefed, and then go visit him. And you aren't in trouble--you're the only eye witness. You just get the short end of the stick."

Naleen followed her with a sigh, wondering if Ishbala would help heal an Amestrian if she asked him nicely enough.

* * *

"I wasn't sure about your size, so I just tried to find some clothes that I was pretty sure would fit." Cara said lightly as she walked into the locker room again, some clothes folded in her arms. Naleen was in a bathroom stall, drying off. The hot water had felt good, washing away the grime from travel and blood. She quickly grabbed the clothes Cara was holding out for her over the stall door.

"Your other clothes are in this bag so you can at least take them home and wash them."

Naleen chuckled ironically as she pulled the clothes on, wondering how the little PI would feel if she knew she had no home to go back to at the moment. "Thank you."

"Not a problem. Especially for a friend of Havoc." Naleen came out of the stall dressed in a black buttoned up shirt and plain gray pants. They didn't feel like her regular clothes--but then, those were covered in blood. She would have to deal with it for the time being.

"What does my knowing Havoc have to do with anything?"

Cara shrugged. "He's a nice guy. Although he could lay off on the cigarettes." She said simply.

Naleen gave a slight nod, rolling her eyes. "That is certainly the truth."

Both women jumped as the door slammed, revealing a tall, beautiful woman with long blond hair who looked irritated.

"Stupid idiotic Neanderthal!" she muttered, or something to that extent.

Cara tapped her shoulder, shaking her curly head. "Laurel, we have company." She inclined her head towards the Ishbalan woman, who had focused on getting the tangles out of her hair.

The blond woman stuck out her hand with a smile. "Laurel Banner."

Naleen grasped it firmly, nodding at her. "Naleen Korish."

Laurel looked her up and down. "Are you new here?"

"No, I'm here against my free will because I apparently need to be debriefed." Naleen said irritably, crossing her arms. Laurel's expression went thoughtful as she sat down and started pulling off her boots--now that Naleen looked at her, she saw that the woman was coated in mud and trash.

"You were involved in that sharpshooter business?"

Naleen looked at her sharply. "Yes, what about it?"

"Well, hate to break it to you, but your guy got away. I just spent the last half hour trying to follow him and ended up falling in a mud pit. Sorry I didn't catch him--although I don't envy the poor fellow if you find him first." She said mildly, watching Naleen's face with a slight smile she couldn't hide.

Cara stepped between the two women, diffusing the electric atmosphere. "Well, Naleen, we should probably go. Lucien might explode from curiosity if we keep him waiting much longer."

Naleen shrugged. "So?"

Laurel laughed as Cara looked surprised. "I like her. If you ever get tired of hanging out with Havoc and his friends, you'll always be welcome here."

Naleen smiled, but it was strained. Cara seemed to notice her anxiety, and motioned for her to follow. "You're really worried."

It wasn't a question, and Naleen felt herself color slightly. "He's been very kind to me. I don't want him to get himself killed because he was protecting me." She said softly. Cara smiled sympathetically as they walked out into the hall, and Harven jumped up from where he had been sitting.

"Now can I talk to her?" He asked, and Cara gently pushed Naleen forward.

"She's all yours. Knock yourself out. Otherwise she'll do it first." Cara laughed as Naleen shook her head and Harven stared, wondering if he was missing something.

* * *

Furey was pacing outside General Mustang's office door, trying to decide what to tell him and how much to downplay the situation. He finally took a deep breath and reached for the handle. The door suddenly swung open, smacking him in the forehead and sending him crashing to the floor as Major Hawkeye stormed out.

"Oh, Warrant Officer Furey. Sorry, I didn't see you there." She apologized, helping him up as he swayed dizzily.

"Major...there's something I need to tell you..." He began slowly. She looked at him sharply, and he knew she was not in a very good mood. "It's about Captain Havoc. He...he was shot."

Hawkeye's eyes widened, and she swiveled around and threw the door open. "General!" She swept into the room, and Roy looked up with a slightly alarmed expression. "Captain Havoc is in the hospital, sir, and you should go make sure he's alright."

He jumped up, the scars on his left side rubbing against his jacket as if to remind him of the last time Havoc had been in the hospital.

"I'm coming right away."

* * *

Naleen paced back and forth in front of the closed door, the clock on the wall driving her crazy as it ticked constantly.

"Um...Miss, you should really calm down..." A nurse had been watching her the whole time, and she touched Naleen's arm hesitantly as she tried to soothe her.

"I'm completely calm!!!" Naleen snarled, whirling on the poor nurse with eyes blazing. The little woman shrank slightly, moving away.

"Yes, of course. My apologies." The nurse quickly left her alone, and she sat down hard in a chair to stare at the closed door some more. The sound of quick feet reached her ears, and then there was a commotion from down the hall.

"General, he's still in surgery, he's not allowed to have any visitors!" A shaky female voice said, sounding worried and helpless.

"Don't tell me what's allowed! This is my subordinate we're talking about!" A very deep voice thundered back, and a calm female voice said something, too quietly for Naleen to hear. Two blue-suited military dogs rounded the corner, and Naleen stiffened despite herself; there came General Mustang, stomping down the hall with Major Hawkeye at his heels. He caught sight of her and faltered, nearly tripping over his own feet.

"Oh... Naleen. What are you doing here?" He asked, and she glared at him.

"I'm here to make sure this idiot didn't get himself killed." She snapped, and Hawkeye frowned.

"You should really show more respect for your superiors, young lady." Naleen continued to glare, not particularly in the mood to be lectured by an Amestrian. Suddenly the door opened, and she leaped up and was standing in the doorway before the officers could even blink. A doctor was removing his mask, and Naleen began firing off questions.

"Is Havoc alright? Is he awake? How bad is the damage? Can I see him now? When will he be able to leave?" The doctor looked slightly flustered by her bombardment.

"He's fine, but I don't think he's..." Naleen had already ducked around him and slipped into the room, leaving two military officers and a confused doctor alone in the hallway.

"Havoc?" Naleen stepped forward, her hands shaking slightly despite herself. _'Why am I so terrified?'_ she thought, scolding herself for her childishness. He was lying under thin hospital sheets, his face relaxed and peaceful. His chest moved up and down in the deep breathing of sleep. She felt her knees buckle, and she slid to the floor, her heart pounding. _'He's alive. He's alright, he isn't dead. I didn't get him killed. Thank Ishbala.'_ She thought, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thank Ishbala." She said out loud, and suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" She squeaked and leaped to her feet. But her legs gave out on her, and she nearly collapsed. She was saved from falling by a pair of strong arms, and she angrily swatted them away as General Mustang's fast reflexes saved her from one humiliation.

"Leave me alone!" She hissed, and Hawkeye looked surprised as Mustang made no comment on her rudeness. She sat down hard in a chair, still scowling at Mustang, trying to keep her legs from shaking. Roy was looking down at Havoc with a pained expression on his face.

"Don't do this to me again, Havoc. We don't have May to heal you this time." He said softly, and Hawkeye turned to Naleen.

"Who are you?" She was obviously trying to give Roy a few moments alone, but Naleen wasn't going for it.

"Why do you care, lapdog?" Her voice was dripping venom, and Hawkeye's expression turned icy.

"Because you were the last person seen with my comrade before he was nearly fatally wounded." She snapped, and Naleen stared back, her icy blue eyes meeting Hawkeye's steely brown ones.

"If you're implying that I had something to do with Havoc getting himself shot, I swear I will drop kick you into next week." She snarled, and Hawkeye was momentarily silent.

"Of course not. I'm just concerned for Havoc's safety." She apologized. Suddenly there was a little sigh, and Naleen leaped up as Havoc's blue eyes fluttered open.

"Man...I hate waking up in hospitals. It's so depressing." He murmured, and Roy patted his un-bandaged shoulder.

"At least you don't have to share with a crabby colonel this time." He said, and Havoc laughed weakly. Then his eyes widened, and he looked around, his expression worried.

"Where...where is Naleen? Is she alright?" Naleen shoved past Roy, an unhappy scowl on her face.

"You are an idiot." She said and suddenly slugged him in the arm.

"Ow!" He yelped, rubbing his shoulder.

"If you had stayed in the corner like I told you to, you wouldn't be in here!" She snapped, and he scowled back at her.

"Well I'm sorry for saving your life! I won't make the mistake twice. Now can I please have a cigarette?" Roy chuckled, and Naleen gave him her 'no way in heck' look.

"You're in the hospital! The last thing you need is to be smoking!" She snarled, slapping the top of his head. He nodded, laughing, and suddenly fell into a violent bought of coughing.

"I think Captain Havoc has had quite enough excitement for today. Why don't you let him rest now?" A nurse asked, and the Major and the General nodded.

"Get well soon, Captain." Roy said, saluting him with a silent look of friendship passing between them.

"Aye, sir." Havoc replied, saluting the two officers.

"Come on, Naleen. Havoc has probably had more than enough of you to last him a lifetime." Roy said, and Naleen aimed a kick at the back of his knees. Hawkeye managed to pull her away before she fatally wounded the General, but he didn't escape unscathed.

"Naleen, wait." The officers slipped out, and Naleen turned back to the hospital bed. "You're blaming yourself." It wasn't a question, and she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, I am. Because I was the one cowering in the corner while you took shots. I completely froze up, and it could have easily cost you your life. I need to learn to be more careful." She muttered. He motioned for her to come closer, and he brushed the back of her hand with his fingertips.

"I was protecting you because I'm an idiot. Don't blame yourself." She blushed furiously and backpedaled quickly out of the room, running into Roy as he stood right outside the door.

"Watch it!" She snarled, and he raised his eyebrow.

"You two seem close." She shoved past him, slamming his bad shoulder painfully against the wall.

"It's none of your business!"

He shrugged, following after her as she swept down the hospital steps. "I was only making an observation."

She rolled her eyes and was about to make a snide remark when she slammed headfirst into something partially solid that gave way with an 'oomph'.

"Careful there, fireball. Don't burn anyone too badly." A voice said, and she looked up to see Lucien Harven smiling ironically as he steadied her.

"Sorry. I'm trying to get rid of him, but he won't stop following me." She muttered, but Hawkeye had suddenly stiffened. She leaned in beside Roy, every sense alert.

"Sir...do you see that man on the edge of the crowd?" She whispered, her eyes guiding him to a pale man with black hair that was stringy and hanging in his face.

"It can't be..." The man was surveying the crowd with a cool expression of a predator eyeing its prey. His cold eyes locked with Roy's, and they widened in recognition. The man turned and bolted, and Roy nodded to Hawkeye.

"Stay here." She ordered Naleen before the two shot off after the man.

"What is Kimblee doing here? I thought he was dead." Hawkeye said as they skidded around a wet street corner, gun cocked.

"Apparently he survived the incident with the Homunculi." Roy spat the word as if it was a curse. Kimblee had his back against a wall, but the two officers were still being wary; he could blow them to bits in a heartbeat if he wanted to. He slowly turned, and Roy saw a strange gleam in his eyes that had never been there openly before--the spark of madness.

"Hello, Flame Alchemist." He hissed, hands held in a defensive position.

"Don't move, Kimblee. If you so much as twitch I swear I will blast you right here." Hawkeye threatened, and Kimblee grinned.

"And Miss Sharpshooter too. I must be causing quite a stir or such a turnout." Roy had an angry expression now, and he held his hand up as well. The two alchemists stared each other down, wondering who would make the first move--and who would die. Then Kimblee grinned widely and slammed his hands against either side of the alleyway, cackling madly as the ground began to shake. Hawkeye took aim and fired, but the shaking ground made her lose her balance and the bullet hit his arm with a spurt of blood.

"NOW YOU DIE, FLAME ALCHEMIST!!!!" He shouted, and then the world turned upside down. A pair of strong hands grabbed Hawkeye around the waist and hauled her back, and Roy pulled her behind the building corner in the nick of time. Everything was shaking, and debris rained down around them and shot by them, deadly projectiles. Dust and smoke billowed, and civilians screamed. The explosion was so close that their ears popped, and when the roar died down, Hawkeye's ears were ringing. "General!" She coughed, eyes watering from the smoke. "General Mustang!!" She stumbled against the wall near her, and put her hand right on a razor sharp piece of metal. She flinched back, blood already dripping from the wound. Moaning and screaming pedestrians wandered through the smoke, calling out names.

"General!!" She stumbled, her vision wavering.

"General Mustang!"

She fell to her knees, the blood from her hand dripping onto the ground as she fell.

"Roy..." Her vision narrowed, and the last thing she saw before passing out was a bloodstained glove and a pair of outstretched arms catching her as she crumpled.

* * *

KABOOM!!!!!

The entire hospital shook, and Naleen stumbled against the wall as nurses screamed and doctors shouted.

"What was that?" Naleen cried as Cara tripped into Laurel, the balance-impaired PI nearly falling over the more coordinated one.

"It sounded like an explosion!" Laurel said, supporting Cara as she struggled to regain her composure.

"But from what? The sharpshooters again?"

Cara had already gone to the window, and she gasped. "It looks like a bomb went off!" She cried, and Naleen rushed over. She saw the carnage and felt her breath whoosh out of her body; it was too familiar. The huge trench in the earth, the mud and dirt sprayed everywhere, the smell of death clouding the air and overwhelming everything else... She felt like the room was spinning, and she slid down into a crouching position against the wall.

"Naleen? Are you ok?" A sharp scent was suddenly under her nose as Cara held a bottle of smelling salts under her nose.

"I always keep some in case of a situation like this." Cara said quietly as Naleen calmed down.

"Thank you."

Cara stood, tucking the bottle back in her pocket. "It doesn't look like anyone is too badly hurt, but you need to stay in here." Cara calmly pulled out a small pistol, holding it loosely in her hand as she ran outside and stood with the other soldiers who were surrounding Kimblee. Naleen watched, knowing that she would collapse again if she tried going outside. It looked like they were talking, then the crazed alchemist separated his hands again. She felt herself go pale as the blood rushed from her face in shock. She remembered now, something she had forgotten before; the man who destroyed her home_...he had tattooed hands_! Naleen's eyes flickered back to Mustang, who was supporting Hawkeye and shouting orders, readjusting his eyepatch. Could it be that she had been angry at the wrong man all along? The world seemed to spin as Naleen leaned against the wall, feeling her world begin to shatter.

* * *

**_DAH DAH DAH_**

**_Jk, it's not that intense or excitng. _**

**_Review please!!!_**

**_~Firegirl_**


	6. Getting Tired of Hospitals and THE END

_**By the end, I truly mean THE END this time. yaaay! I finished a story!**_

**_There really will be sequels eventually, folks...don't loose hope!_**

* * *

**Chapter Six:**

**Getting Really Tired of Hospitals and THE END**

_'He had black hair, and his skin was pale. His eyes burned with the flames of madness, and he laughed as he destroyed the people of Ishbala...'_

The woman's description of the killer matched too perfectly. She had been searching for years, and she thought she had found him; a pale, black haired State Alchemist who was there during Ishbal. But as she looked down upon the man cackling in the street, she knew.

It wasn't Roy Mustang who had killed her family and destroyed her home.

It was _him_.

And now he was right there, open, vulnerable...

She could do it. She could take his life now, and he would never hurt anyone again, never kill another person. She jumped up, darting into Havoc's hospital room and grabbing his bloodstained jacket.

"Naleen? What's going on out there? It sounds like a bomb went off!" Havoc said, looking worried as he lay there unable to help. She found his holster and grabbed some extra ammo, loading the gun with assured determination.

"Naleen? What are you doing?" She whisked out of the room, running as fast as her trembling legs would carry her. She burst through the doors, gun cocked and held at the ready. The soldiers were looking around dazedly, and she felt like the ground had been yanked out from under her feet.

"Naleen? What are you doing out here?" Cara asked, looking concerned at Naleen's shell-shocked state.

"That man...I have to find him!" She managed, straining to see over the heads and shoulders of the soldiers around who were much taller than her.

"Kimblee is gone. He escaped through the sewers." A deep voice said, and Roy parted the crowd, walking beside a blinking Hawkeye.

"I can't believe I was unconscious." She muttered, obviously furious with herself as Roy wrapped a bandage around her bleeding hand gently.

"No! He can't be gone!" Naleen slammed her fist into the wall, her arms shaking and her hair falling in front of her face. She looked as though she was about to have a complete breakdown.

"Are you alright?" Cara touched her shoulder hesitantly, and Naleen whirled on her, eyes flaming more than they ever had before; the flames of revenge.

"Which way did he go?" She demanded, and Roy stepped back from her desperate air with caution.

"Which way?!"

He motioned to the east, and she turned to go, new energy flowing into her body.

"Wait." A strong hand wrapped around her arm, holding her back.

"Don't stop me!" She snarled, but Roy didn't flinch back from her sudden anger.

"I don't know why you suddenly seem hell-bent on killing Kimblee, but I need you to stop. Right now he's injured, so he will be twice as dangerous as normal. He's in a small enclosed sewer tunnel beneath a highly populated city. If he defends himself...he could kill a lot of people. We'll find him again, and confront him in a place better suited for battle."

Naleen felt all the anger drain out of her, leaving only shock and numb disbelief. She fell back against the wall of the hospital, sliding down into a sitting position with her knees drawn up against her chest.

"You're right. There will be another day to serve justice." She said softly, and Roy's eye widened slightly in familiarity.

"You sound like someone I know." He said sadly, but she was too busy concentrating on just breathing in and out to hear him. "Come on, Naleen. You need some rest." Cara said softly, hoisting her up. She nodded her thanks, following the little PI away into the building.

"Here." Naleen felt someone shove a large mug into her hands. Looking up, she saw Laurel Banner, the other PI from earlier. In Naleen's hands was an enormous cup of very black coffee.

"You're in shock. Eating and drinking will help. It's strong, but it'll work wonders." The PI sat down with her own cup of coffee and a large folder of paperwork, looking irritated. Naleen stared at the coffee for a moment before taking a sip and gagging--Laurel hadn't been kidding when she said the coffee was strong. She placed it back on the table, trying to swallow the mouthful she had already taken without spitting it out.

"What's that?" She asked, pointing at the papers in Laurel's hand.

"Paperwork on a recent case. You'll probably see it in the paper tomorrow." Naleen peeked over the top of it, eyes scanning the page.

"What, are you interested in Private Investigation work?" Naleen shrugged, still eying the report. The blonde woman suddenly looked up at the door, and Naleen turned around.

"Shouldn't you be in bed Captain?" Laurel asked, and Naleen rolled her eyes; Havoc was leaning in the doorway, trying to pretend he was fine when he was obviously not.

"Bed? Nah, I've had enough of that." He said, a bit breathless from standing up.

"Honestly, Havoc, can you go for five minutes without being an idiot? You shouldn't be wandering around out of bed yet."

He smirked at her, and she scowled. "First off, I haven't had a smoke in hours if it makes you feel any better. Second, why are you being more paranoid than usual? Could it be that the infamous Naleen Korish is worried about me?"

She chucked a pen at him, and with his 'lightning fast reflexes', it hit him in the face. The PIs burst into laughter at his shocked expression, and Naleen growled at him.

"I'm not worried, you're just egocentric." Breda walked in, looking irritated and muttering all kinds of wonderful things under his breath.

"What's got your pants in a twist?" Cara asked, and Laurel chuckled at Breda's expression.

"We lost him." He said, and Naleen's eyes darkened. She wouldn't let him get away this time, no matter what.

"Where was he last seen?" She asked, trying to appear only mildly interested.

"We tracked him a few meters down the sewers, but we lost his trail at the outskirts of the city."

She nodded, taking a sip of water to hide her trembling hands. "Which direction is he headed?" She asked, and Breda shrugged.

"Sorry, Naleen, we lost him. He could be halfway to Briggs by now." She sighed and dropped her head into her hands. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Havoc trying to comfort her. He was being very subtle about it, and his eyes were focused on Breda as he talked, but when she looked up his hand tightened slightly on her shoulder in a comforting squeeze.

She looked down, unsure why her heart was suddenly acting strange. This was Havoc she was talking about, there was no way she could feel anything for him. And he didn't feel anything for her...right?  
Besides, she had more important things to focus on right now--

Revenge.

* * *

"Naleen! Naleen, come quick!"

The Ishbalan woman leaped up, jerked out of sleep only seconds before but already alert and ready for action.

"What is it?" She asked Laurel, who had let her stay with her that night. The tall blonde woman was in her pajamas by the door, looking irritated.

"It's one of the military guys. The short one with the red hair."

"Breda! What is it?" Naleen asked, pushing in front of the PI to get to the door. Breda was breathing hard, but he looked excited.

"We found him! Kimblee has been spotted heading for an abandoned town in the Ishbal region, and we've got all available units in the area headed after him. We'll try to pin him down, and then we'll bring him in."

She felt adrenaline rush into her veins, and bloodlust tinged her vision red.

"Why are you telling me this? I'm only a civilian."

Breda rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm, pulling her down the hall of the apartment complex. Naleen managed to wave a thank you to Laurel before they were out of her sight.

"You obviously want a piece of the guy, and I don't blame you. Havoc said we should bring you along. If he thinks you should come, I don't doubt him."

She nodded, and the two went down the spiral stairs, headed for the military movement that could change her life forever.

* * *

"We'll surround the city with our cavalry, and send about twenty stealth on foot. We slowly shrink the circle until we've got him trapped in the middle, and then we try to bring him into custody. If this isn't possible, deadly force is authorized. I don't want to have any casualties, men, so watch your back! Move out!"

Naleen was nestled beneath a tarp that covered ammunition, and Havoc, Furey and Breda surrounded her. They were silent, the anticipation of coming battle resting heavy on their chests.

"So why are you hell-bent on killing this guy anyway?" Havoc was the closest, and he leaned down to whisper to her. She chewed on her lip, fists clenched as her stomach seized up painfully.

"He was the one, Havoc. He killed them all. I was wrong about Mustang, wrong about my village, wrong about who I have hated for so long. But now my revenge is at hand."

He looked slightly worried, and he opened his mouth to make a comment on her motives.

"LOOK OUT!"

Suddenly a boulder launched out of nowhere, and the truck they were riding in capsized, tossing the soldiers and Naleen across the desert sand violently.

Naleen landed on Havoc's chest, hearing the breath whoosh out of him as she hit hard. They scrambled up, and Havoc grabbed her hand to lead her as they stumbled to safety, out of the way of the truck that was now spilling oil. Soldiers were shouting, and everyone was scrambling away from the ticking time bomb as fast as they could go.

WHOOSH

Suddenly the entire thing caught fire, and they hit the ground, covering their heads as the gas tank exploded. That's when she saw him; standing in front of the flaming truck, head thrown back as he laughed maniacally.

Kimblee.  
"Get down!" Havoc shoved Naleen down, ducking behind another truck as the Red Lotus Alchemist cackled madly and sent another truck exploding into an inferno.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" She snarled, trying to shove him away.

"Are you insane? He'll kill you!" He held on, easily restraining her even in his injured condition.

"Not if I kill him first!" The serious steely tone in her voice made Havoc's hold loosen, and she burst free. "I was wrong, Havoc. Wrong about Mustang, wrong about everything. It was Kimblee all along." Her face was dead set, and he knew it would take nothing short of a miracle to change her mind now.

"Naleen, stop! You don't want to do this." He said, grabbing hold of her arms again. She flashed him a murderous glare that nearly made him cringe with its hatred, but he held on tight.

"Do you know who Scar is? He's an Ishbalan, just like you. He used to think it was his job to take revenge on the State Alchemists responsible for Ishbal. I've never seen a man so torn up inside." She had frozen at the mention of Scar, and he knew he was getting through. "Revenge is never the answer. Do you remember the relief you felt when you forgave Roy?"

Her eyes flared up again, and she struggled fiercely as the tank beside them exploded with an ear-shattering boom. "I was wrong! Let me go!" She tore her arm from his grip, leaving them connected only by his hand that was gripping hers.

"If you kill him, you'll never forgive yourself." He said, and he saw the flames waver in her eyes. "Let us take care of it. Please, Naleen."

"He's too close to let him escape! Let me go, Havoc!" She snarled, yanking her hand from his and ducking under his arm. She cast one look backwards at his face, watching his eyes as they pleaded. Then she was gone, the smoke clouding the air and hiding her from his sight--and hopefully, from Kimblee.

Naleen coughed, keeping low to stay in the smoke, hoping to hide from Kimblee's long as possible--then, she would strike. The buildings and vehicles around her were blazing, and the heat was stifling here in the abandoned regions of Ishbal. She could no longer hear his demented laughter, but she saw the footprints and the carnage that would lead her right to him. She walked without a sound, her body reverting to her old ways as it found itself on familiar soil. Her eyes swept the alcoves and indents in the walls for the pale skin that would give the madman away.

Then she saw a shadow through the smoke, and she drew her dagger. With a cry of, "For Ishbala!" she leaped out of the smoke and slashed her dagger downwards--and jarred her wrist as steel met stone.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Suddenly a hand wrapped around her wrist, and she was flung bodily to the ground, her head hitting the pavement with a sickening CRACK!

Solf J. Kimblee stood above her, eyes flashing madly from a hideously scarred face. He had escaped the Homunculi--but not unscathed.

"Good try, little Ishbalan; very sneaky. Don't worry--you will be joining your people soon enough."

Her head was spinning, and she was seeing stars from her fall. 'I truly am an idiot...' She thought faintly as tattooed hands clapped together.

"YAH!"

Suddenly Kimblee was bowled over by something coming very fast, and Naleen scrambled to her feet. Havoc was sitting on Kimblee's back, jerking the alchemist's left arm behind him and chaining it into their special handcuffs. Kimblee suddenly grinned wickedly and flicked his right hand. A gunshot rang out, and Havoc started in surprise before slamming Kimblee's head into the ground and knocking him safely unconscious.

Naleen breathed a sigh of relief--Kimblee missed Havoc with the bullet. The Captain stood, hands shaking and breathing hard. He met her eyes and smiled slightly before his eyes widened, and he looked like he had just been punched in the stomach.

"NALEEN!"

She didn't understand why Havoc was looking shocked until she felt something wet on her collarbone. She looked down to see blood already soaking the front of her shirt, the small entry hole of the bullet barely visible as a darker patch in the deadly flower blossoming across her white cotton shirt.

Havoc was shouting at her now, but she just couldn't quite make out what he was saying. She didn't feel herself falling, but suddenly she was on her knees, vision narrowing to a small tunnel. She felt a pair of arms around her as she collapsed, and was faintly aware of him shouting her name.

And then there was darkness, broken only by shattered fragments of confusion in a dizzying rush around her.

* * *

Light filtered through Naleen's closed eyelids, and she fluttered her eyes open as the blanket of unconsciousness receded. She looked around, and found herself in one of her least favorite places to be--a hospital room. She sat up, but hissed in pain and fell back against the pillows as her left shoulder burned furiously.

"You shouldn't sit up so fast. Here, let me help."

She found a pair of strong, gentle hands come to her aid, one on her back and one on her arm as a young man gently propped her up.

"Ha-Havoc? What in Ishbala's name..." She stopped as he fluffed the pillow behind her and patted her good shoulder. He was smiling slightly, but he was frowning behind it.

"If you don't want to get us both in trouble with the Doctor, I would think about shutting up." His face was joking as ever, but there was an expression of kindness--almost tenderness--on his face that was new and slightly alarming.

"Dammit, Havoc, why am I in the hospital?!" She snapped, motioning to her bandaged arm furiously. He shrugged, rolling his eyes.

"Probably because you got shot in the chest with a gun. And you inhaled a couple pounds of dust and smoke. And you have a concussion. And you're an idiot. And you--"  
"Alright, I get it!" She cut him off, scowling. "How did I get shot? Everything is fuzzy. I think it had something to do with me saving your useless Amestrian hide again..."

His face tightened slightly, and he slugged her lightly on the good arm. "Actually, I think you owe me, kid. I've saved your careless butt twice now."

She bristled, and prepared to give him a tongue lashing before he covered her mouth with his hand. His eyes were a very pale blue, and she noticed that they seemed to reflect sunlight in a fascinating way.

"Just try to be more careful, ok? You're going to give me a heart attack someday."

She scowled at him, crossing her arms tightly as she could across her chest.

"You make it sound like I'll be hanging around. Kimblee is in custody now, and..." She stopped, realizing that the distant memory of their original mission had never been completed.

"We never did find the Arsonist." He said offhandedly, and she smirked.

"Well, it looks like I'll have to hang around you for a while longer after all."

* * *

_Naleen soon decided to join the PI corps, and with the help of some new teammates--who soon became new friends--finally found a place to call home. Kimblee was executed five months later, and I think that all the ones involved with the Homunculi incident the year before breathe easier because of it. _

_Havoc and Naleen don't see each other as often anymore, but when the new PI is suddenly snatched away during an undercover case, only one man can find her--and hopefully save her life! The one who knows her best...and can think like the enemy. Will Havoc be able to track down her kidnappers and save her in time?_

_Then, the PI office gets an anonymous tip of a fugitive Ishbalan groups' whereabouts--who also happen to be the arsonists from long ago! Will she be able to hunt down some of her own? And who will she call on to be her partner in this long forgotten chase? And when a blast from Naleen's past takes up arms with the enemy... Will she finally snap?_

_Find out in the sequels of Unlikely Pair;_

_The Investigator and The Ishbal Incident_

* * *

**Sorry about the not terribly exciting ending...some people really didn't like it... -_-**

**Btw, if you were wondering where I was pulling situations from, this fic is kind of a mix between Anime, Manga and Make-believe...if that makes any sense at all...**

**Thanks for reading, please review!**

**~Firegirl**


End file.
